This week, drivers are biding their time before they make their way to Monaco. There are usually a few fun events to keep an eye on in the principality, but until then, it's all about training, artwork, and watching the Eurovision Song Contest. This week we also have points for some teammate competition, a little bit too much time in the pool, and, yes, that dog again.
And so it all comes down to this. The final episode of Series Seven, the one that has to tide us over until the 50th anniversary celebrations later in the year. This is the one where we are supposed to learn of the mystery of Clara, and, perhaps, the Doctor's name? As ever, here's the official BBC blurb: "The Doctor has a secret he will take to his grave. And it is discovered..."
Feet Up Friday is back for a roundup of all the recent F1 news, with a few opinions thrown in for good measure. This week's discussion of course mention tyres, but also feature returning manufacturers, the action from Barcelona, and the best Formula One anecdote ever.
The Formula One paddock was swirling with discussions about the shape the Spanish Grand Prix took, with its average of four pit stops per driver, tyre de-laminations aplenty, and the occasional focus on conservation. The ongoing debate over F1 2013-style could drag on for weeks or months, but here and now, we know that all the teams had the same fair playing field, and some of them did better than others.
It's all about job swaps this week as drivers turn interviewers, and one particular German tries his hand at race engineering. We also see Nico Rosberg scream Monaco at the top of his lungs as he (or someone a bit like him) heads down the Monaco hills in a trolley. There's not much else to be said! Two weeks until the race in the principality, keep your eyes peeled for drivers getting up to mischief as they mix with the rich and famous of Monte Carlo!
A dry race in Barcelona doesn't usually promise much, but we were given a reasonable day of racing action from the Circuit de Catalunya. Now is your chance to have your say about the events unfolding in Spain - from Rosberg's pole position to Alonso's home victory.
Red Bull may be slightly disappointed with missing out on the podium but their double points finish keeps them in the lead of the standings. Ferrari have moved ahead of Lotus but it's a close battle between the two, just six points in it. The gap behind them is significant, whilst there are still three teams with zero points.
Fernando Alonso's victory in Spain allowed him to move ahead of Lewis Hamilton and take third in the championship. Felipe Massa also managed to jump Mark Webber, whilst further back Esteban Gutiérrez moved up two places despite not scoring any points as yet.
The Mercedes drivers dropped backwards almost as soon as the race began, and the battle soon fell to home favourite Fernando Alonso against focused Lotus racer Kimi Räikkönen. Gradually, the Ferrari team pulled ahead, and they managed to get two drivers on the podium. At the back, Vergne retired after damage due to a collision when Hülkenberg was released into his path in the pit lane.
The build-up to this race made a lot of the statistic that the front-row drivers were most likely to end up winning. 2013 was ready to provide something a bit different, and as the number of pit stops and tyre changes grew, so the lead kept on changing hands. Three retirements, a couple of drive through style penalties, and some errant wheels on track saw a really exciting race culminate in a successful weekend for Ferrari.
With Mercedes starting from pole position, and the statistics shouting that most winners come from the front row of the grid, you wouldn't be blamed for putting on your money on Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg for the win. But we have speedy Red Bulls and a fired-up Alonso at his home race, plus a surprisingly fast Sergio Pérez all within touching distance of the podium. Who can dominate in Barcelona this weekend? Now is the time to find out.
Both Felipe Massa and Esteban Gutiérrez have been given three place grid drops after the stewards deemed them guilty of impeding other drivers during qualifying. There did seem to be a significant traffic problem around the Circuit de Catalunya, but just two of the field have been penalised.
The Cybermen are back! Those terrifying, soul-destroying silver machines are returning to our screens, and if the title is anything to go by, they're not here to make any friends. The official BBC blurb says: "Hedgewick's World of Wonders: the perfect theme park day out. And ground zero for a deadly silver resurrection." Can't wait to see the futuristic theme park, should be fascinating!
Under sunny skies, qualifying played out with surprising results. The McLaren drivers were split by a session and Pérez ended up ahead. Williams dropped out of the first session with both drivers out early. Qualifying specialist Vettel could only manage third fastest, leaving the front row for Mercedes.
From the track that all the teams claim to know so well, we had a surprising hour of qualifying. McLaren's updates left at least one of their team wanting, whilst the Mercedes duo had a strong showing. Williams couldn't repeat their good race of 2012, and would have to go some to win from their positions this weekend!
Six thousandths of a second separate Felipe Massa in P1 and Kimi Räikkönen behind him. It's close at the top, as the final hour of practice allowed drivers to make their final preparations before qualifying. The Red Bull drivers weren't far off the top spot, whilst McLaren continued to appear to struggle.
With unpredictable European weather, a heap of unknowns in the tyres, and double the number of DRS zones we saw last year, we should be in for a good race. That doesn't mean that qualifying is any less important though, as drivers push to get into the top ten, and beat their own personal Saturday bests. So far this weekend, Red Bull and Ferrari have looked fast whilst Mercedes could put up a fight and McLaren... well, they still have work to do.
The sun came out for the second session, and it worked in Red Bull's favour. The pair of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber battled for the top spot throughout, with Vettel eventually ending the day P1. Fernando Alonso was still going well, which cheered up the home fans no end.
Overnight rain meant the track at Barcelona was damp as the first practice session of the weekend got underway. Some were happy to make the most of the conditions, others, such as Jenson Button, preferred to sit out the session and not risk any of the new updates on the car.
Free Practice in Barcelona may deliver more action than we have seen on Fridays of late, as Pirelli are offering up an experimental set of tyres to try and encourage teams to do more running during each ninety minute session. The teams will also want to push their cars as much as possible, as they bring a raft of updates to the cars, now they have the benefit of being back in Europe. Friday isn't going to tell us too much about who is doing well, but we may get a hint of who has got it wrong.
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | 89 | |
| 2 | Kimi Räikkönen | 85 | |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso | 72 | |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | 50 | |
| 5 | Felipe Massa | 45 |
| 1 | Infiniti Red Bull Racing | 131 | |
| 2 | Scuderia Ferrari | 117 | |
| 3 | Lotus F1 Team | 111 | |
| 4 | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 72 | |
| 5 | Sahara Force India F1 Team | 32 |
| Australian Grand Prix | 17 Mar |
| Malaysian Grand Prix | 24 Mar |
| Chinese Grand Prix | 14 Apr |
| Bahrain Grand Prix | 21 Apr |
| Spanish Grand Prix | 12 May |
