Who’s light, and who’s not?

(GMMf1NET) As ever on a Saturday evening, and Sunday morning, the buzz in the formula one paddock is all about fuel — or cars' potential lack of it.

Honda's Jenson Button is genuinely excited about his Albert Park pole, but some F1 wags think he might be carrying a lighter fuel tank than the chasing Renault and McLaren rivals.

''I guess we will find out,'' said a coy Norbert Haug, of Mercedes, ''but we take all of our opponents seriously.''

McLaren has played a modest deck of cards in Melbourne, but qualifying did not give the game away, according to Ron Dennis.

The boss told 'ITV' that fourth and fifth on the grid might only be a representation of fuel load and the fact that a harder tyre compound could be in play.

Ron said: ''If we survive the first lap, it should look very good.''

Some observers express a more radical view — that Button, unlike the silver or blue cars, could be planning three stops.

By the same token, conventional wisdom puts runners like Toyota's Ralf Schumacher (6th) and Williams' Mark Webber (7th) somewhere in between a heavy and light load.

''I think Renault and McLaren are probably heavier,'' Mark Webber admitted on Sunday morning.