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It is an awful irony that it has taken 's horrific to bring him to the attention of the wider world.

Despite four and a half seasons in Formula 1, the 26-year-old Pole was not exactly a household name. Such is the lot of a grand prix driver who does not find himself in a front-running car.

But Kubica is very different from the other men pounding around in the midfield, to whom the wider TV audience pay only scant attention while focusing on the big names battling it out at the front.

This is a man who is increasingly regarded as one of the very finest racing drivers in the world - someone who, , can be talked about in the same breath as the likes of , and the new world champion .

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Confidence was not in short supply at as they unveiled their dramatic-looking 2011 Formula 1 car on Friday.

While most teams chose to reflect the austerity of the times by taking the wraps off their new cars in the pit lane at the , McLaren instead went for a grand reveal in the centre of .

Mechanics wheeled in a chassis and suspension and attached the wheels and bodywork to the car in front of a crowd of interested spectators in , a public space that sits on the fringe of the old .

Fortunately, the appearance of the car justified such a flamboyant approach, its sweeping lines and radical design innovations immediately obvious.

Equally obvious was the expectation the team have invested in the spectacular-looking machine. and could barely stop themselves smiling as they contemplated the car they both hope will take them to a second drivers' world championship.

Button talked about his "beautiful new baby"; Hamilton of his confidence that McLaren would be more competitive than in 2010 - when they won five races and both men led the championship at various stages of the season.

Hamilton and Button were bullish about their chances this season, and looking at the new car it was easy to see why.

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