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Jenson Button was almost a write-off before he seized the Formula One title with Brawn last year and he starts the new season in Bahrain with critics again ready to scrap his chances.
The conventional wisdom has it that the 30-year-old Briton is on a hiding to nothing against compatriot Lewis Hamilton, the younger team mate who wants to take back the championship he won in 2008.
Some, such as retired triple champion Jackie Stewart, have warned Button that he is making a big mistake in stepping into the 'Lions' Den'. Four other champions polled in F1 Racing magazine this month all voted for Hamilton as top dog.
That may not be the case and it is certainly not how Button sees it. Like 1996 world champion compatriot Damon Hill before him, he is a lot quicker and more accomplished than many give him credit for.
In many respects the pressure is off, even if the McLaren line-up is presented as a battle of Britons that has to end up with a winner and loser.
There has been a spring in Button's step since he started preparing for this week's season-opener in Bahrain, a smile on his face and a new ring of confidence since he took the crown in Brazil last year.
Button said: "I'm really looking forward to getting into my car on Friday morning in Bahrain and knowing that I'm the world champion. It's a responsibility and an honour - but it's something I'm going to enjoy for as long as I can. I don't want to lose that number from my car!
"My winter has been an incredible learning experience - joining Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has provided me with exactly the sort of challenge I needed. I have put every effort into working with the team, my engineers and learning about my car to ensure that we start the season in Bahrain in the best possible shape.
"Even after four weeks of testing, it's incredibly difficult to predict the order ahead of the new season. There are a number of teams and drivers who appear to be in the hunt and, as with the start of every new season, it will be fascinating to see who emerges as the team to beat. I've never known a team work as hard as we have done over the winter - I've spent more time with engineers than I have before any other season, and I feel comfortable about my preparations."
Much is made of McLaren being Hamilton's second family, a team that has backed the 25-year-old Briton since he was a boy racing go-karts.
However, the first F1 car that Button ever drove was a McLaren and he has always been a fan of the team, even if it has taken him more than a decade to turn the wheel full circle.
The reason for that has to do with circumstances, early reputations and the fickle nature of the sport. Second chances in Formula One are also about as rare as commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone being outfoxed in a business deal.
According to insiders, until last season, nobody would have given Button any chance of driving for McLaren. But that was before he won six of the first seven races of 2009, including the one in Bahrain, and opinions changed.
"In Jenson and Lewis, we feel we not only have the fastest pairing on the grid but also the two most complete, professional and dedicated drivers in Formula One," McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh said.
