After a two week break, the teams now face the abject dullness of the Spanish Grand Prix as the F1 season reaches the meat of the European season sandwiched between the flour-dusted focaccia of the flyaway legs of the year.
The Talking Points
- The Toyota Trains
Pace-wise, as we head to Europe, Brawn GP and Red Bull are the ones to beat across a full race distance. Providing a rogue Force India doesn't intervene during qualifying, of course. But in Bahrain we saw the way in which the ability of those pair to show what they're made of can be ruined by a bit of glory-hunting by one of those teams not quite on the ultimate pace. There, it was the return of the traditional "slow guy holding up the quick guys" man Jarno Trulli, who ruined the hopes of a race win for Sebastian Vettel. Here in Barcelona, it could be Toyota again, or it could be Fernando Alonso, who ran light to qualify on the front row last year, and has already pulled that same "thimble of fuel" trick once this year,
- Kimi's Anniversary
The 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen will look on this weekend as being the establishment of a rather unhappy anniversary. The last time the Finn stood on the top step of the podium was a year ago at the Spanish event last season. Given the performance of the Scuderia in the season thus far, the chance of his miserable run coming to an end this weekend look set to rely on a high rate of attrition more than anything else. Though that isn't a completely unbelievable scenario. Last year we had nine retirements, and plenty of them mechanical, despite the amount of testing the teams do at the track.
- A Chance for Updates
This weekend's race will see the first chance for most of the teams to introduce their first full aero updates to their cars, after the flyaway races prohibited any new gubbins being slapped on. Renault have major changes to their R29, while championship leaders Brawn GP also have plenty of new bits to glue onto their cars (after Jenson Button admitted after the Bahrain race that Red Bull had overtaken the team on pace). Meanwhile BMW Sauber will be looking to stop the rot blighting their season so far by introducing their own hard-planned aero package. Whether the order will be shaken up by the changes, or whether the few tenths gained here and there will average out, remains to be seen, and with the lack of in-season testing, the teams won't fully know how much of a gain they've made until Friday practice.
Track Facts
Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona
Number of Laps: 66
Circuit Length: 4.655km
Race distance: 307.104km
Lap Record: 1:21.670 (Kimi Raikkonen - 2008)
2008 Pole: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2008 Winner: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
Timetable
Friday 8th May
Free Practice 1: 10.00 (Local Time) / 09.00 (BST)
Free Practice 2: 14.00 (Local Time) / 13.00 (BST)
Saturday 9th May
Free Practice 3: 11.00 (Local Time) / 10.00 (BST)
Qualifying: 14.00 (Local Time) / 13.00 (BST)
Sunday 10th May
Race: 14.00 (Local Time) / 13.00 (BST)
Race Revisited - 1996
Michael Schumacher's greatest drive is rather difficult to narrow down to single figures, never mind a standalone race, but the sodden race in Spain back in 1996 is right up there. While his rivals floundered and aquaplaned off the track, Schumacher rung the neck of his dreadful Ferrari to win by over 45 seconds from Jean Alesi. Only six cars made the finish in a chaotic race, with Damon Hill the most high-profile casualty, spinning into retirement on lap 10.
Watch the race in full, and remember the days when the BBC couldn't afford to spend a fortune flying a raft of pundits out to each race to stand in the pit lane and bicker, by going here.
One Year Ago...
Aside from the mild interest of Kimi Raikkonen actually winning a race, last year was the sort of tedious fare that the over-tested Catalunya track has become infamous for in recent years. Fernando Alonso's home challenge faded after an engine failure, and Heikki Kovalainen nearly killed himself when his tyre blew and he drove into a wall. But aside from that, it was all very forgettable. If you have forgotten, go here to reminisce.
Best Race Odds
Jenson Button - 2/1 (BetFred)
Sebastian Vettel - 5/1 (William Hill)
Lewis Hamilton - 11/1 (Stan James)
Fernando Alonso - 12/1 (SkyBet)
Patty's Tip - Two in a row for Patty's tips, having gone for an each-way bet on a Glock pole position in Bahrain. In Spain, let's go for something a bit perculiar. SkyBet are offering odds on drivers making the final part of qualifying, so given Renault's pre-disposition for light-fuel fun at this event, Patty recomments a sneaky punt on Nelson Piquet Jr making Q3, at 5/1.
The Weekend on Patronise
Patty will be looking to deliver a full weekend of coverage for possibly the last time for a while in Spain. Somehow, we'll have updates on all the practice sessions, along with qualifying and the race, with reviews and opinion sprinkled across the weekend like a fine dust. Hurrah.
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