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WORLD champion Jenson Button wants to hold on to that 'number one' feeling as long as he can ... and has set his sights on steering to success again in Bahrain.
Last year Button notched his third victory on the Sakhir track in four races but this time round the Formula One season kicks off at the Bahrain International Circuit.
He will be driving for McLaren, a team partly owned by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, alongside former champion Lewis Hamilton.
He said: "Obviously, it's fantastic to be part of one of the most famous names in Formula One. But it's also exhilarating: I'd been at the same team for seven years so this is a big cultural change for me, and something that I'm really looking forward to.
"There are a lot of new faces to remember and lots of names to learn - and that's all got to be done alongside the engineering and limited testing we have ahead of the 2010 season. But I'm loving every minute of it - the atmosphere within the team feels fantastic, and I've already started to feel at home here. I can't wait to get out in the fantastic new car the team has built for me!
"Obviously, my aim is to keep the number one on my car for as long as possible! But, at the moment, it's a little bit too early to start talking about the world championship. The backbone of any title challenge is built on good preparation, hard word, focus and dedication.
"And the hard work starts here - the next few weeks could well largely dictate the destiny of the 2010 world championship, so it's crucial that we start testing very strongly and that we never let up.
"I'm more motivated than ever to work with the team and my engineers, and I'm extremely positive for the year ahead."
Button says that he can't wait to start testing the MP4-25 in Valencia and meet up with fellow Brit Hamilton for the first time since he signed up with the McLaren outfit from Brawn GP, an outfit resurrected from the ashes of the former Honda team that will this coming season be flying the flag of Mercedes.
"Having no testing until the first week of February is something of a mixed blessing - it gives me the time to really get to know the guys at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and to properly integrate myself into the team - which I am absolutely committed to doing - but, equally, it's another month without any running in the car - and getting miles under my belt will be crucial ahead of the first race."
Hamilton said: "Our paths haven't really crossed since he was announced at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in November.
"We've both been to MTC for our seat fittings - but they were on different days. The first time we'll start working together is later this month, when we'll be at Woking together, then we'll have the launch and the first test.
"We'll be sharing the pre-season testing equally, and it will be important to keep a crossover of information between us to make sure we are both pulling in the right direction.
"I've been mainly training and trying to keep fit. At the end of the 2009 season, I promised myself that I would aim to be 100 per cent fit and focused on the New Year, so I've been working hard.
"I'll be working closely with my engineers and the team to make sure we all hit the ground running with the new car.
"You can never take competitiveness for granted in Formula One - we saw that last year - so our common goal has to be to make MP4-25 a winning proposition as quickly as possible. Once we've achieved that we can start looking at winning races and then, eventually, the world championship."
Martin Whitaker, the BIC's chief executive officer, cannot wait for the action to start and believes the McLaren pair will be hard to beat.
He said: "The biggest prediction for 2010 is that it is going to be a fantastic year for Formula One. New teams, new driver pairings, the return of Michael Schumacher, the first race in Bahrain and a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the world's fastest sport!
"I don't think we could produce a more mouth-watering prospect. On the track it will be interesting to see whether the second half of the year performance from McLaren in 2009 continues into the new season. If it does - and with a driver pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button - they will be hard to beat.
"However, we should not discount Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari nor his teammate, the returning Felipe Massa.
"And, of course, there is the seven times world champion in a Silver Arrow Mercedes with new team-mate Nico Rosberg. The all-new team, formerly known as Brawn GP, will definitely be a force to be reckoned with. Two German drivers and an experienced pairing make them a very attractive and powerful force.
"Who will be the winner in Bahrain? It's difficult to tell at this moment as we really need to see how testing goes in the coming weeks.
"In short, though, the answer is ... Bahrain itself. Hosting the first race of the season is hugely significant and with all the media and spectator interest in teams and drivers the eyes of the world will be on the kingdom on the weekend of March 13-14.
"See you there!"
