For the Spanish Grand Prix, we have not one but two unusual sights to behold. A Williams at the front of the grid - what can Pastor Maldonado bring to the race, and how long can he hold on to the potential podium position? And related to that, a McLaren at the very rear of the grid. Hamilton seems feisty after his penalty, how far can he make it through? Further down the order, both Jenson Button and Mark Webber have a lot of work to do, whilst Kimi Räikkönen sits just behind his teammate, with his eyes on race victory. Who will kick of the European leg of the season with a win?
Red Bull have done very well in qualifying over the past few years, and Sebastian Vettel will be coming off the back of the win in Bahrain. However, we've seen plenty of tweaks to all the cars, so that McLaren are looking hopeful that they can claw back some speed, and Ferrari are also keen to make significant progress. Don't count out Lotus either, with both drivers very confident after a good Friday in practice. Who are you predicting for pole position?
With Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button leading the way in the Free Practice sessions, and Red Bull and Lotus looking on closely from behind, qualifying today is going to be fascinating. Before that, we have a one hour session for the teams to make their last minute changes to the cars, and for drivers to make their final judgements about the tyres. We're expecting a hot and dry, sunny day so it'll be up to the tyres to create the excitement that rain could normally provide.
The second of the Friday practice sessions gets underway with ninety further minutes of track time, allowing teams to prepare for their Saturday qualifying and get used to the hard and soft tyres. The temperatures in Barcelona are set to be good for the whole weekend, with a slightly cooler day on Sunday, but so far the forecasts steer clear of any mention of rain. Who will be on top for the end of Friday? Place your bets now.
Formula One returns to Europe for the first race of the next leg of the season, but before that we have three practice sessions and a whole qualifying hour to enjoy. This first 90 minutes may see a slight extension of the recent testing in Mugello, with teams trying out some new parts and making the finishing touches to their new and improved cars. We'll also see the return of the motorhomes, as teams make themselves more comfortable in the European paddocks.
Recently, it came up in conversation that we used to think we'd never watch football. These days, we are less averse to the sports that involves balls rather than wheels. In just a few short years, our sporting tastes have changed quite considerably, and we're much more open to watching something new, rather than sticking to something tried and tested. Have your sporting tastes changed over the years? Do you like things now you didn't used to, or vice versa? Are there any sports you'd like to get to know better?
The 3rd round of the MotoGP championship takes place at Estoril and following on from his victory in Jerez last week, Casey Stoner will once again be looking to hold off the ever present challenge of Jorge Lorenzo’s Yahama. Stoner’s Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa will pushing for his 1st win of the year after picking up two podiums in the opening two rounds British rider Cal Crutlow has impressed with two strong 4th place finishes and, if he tidies up the few mistakes he’s made in the opening laps, the former World SuperSport champion could well be on the MotoGP rostrum for the first time. At the other end of the scale the Ducati riders, especially Rossi, continue to struggle and some very poor performances from American Ben Spies on the second works Yahama means the pressure is mounting already. Away from the top class, young Italian rider Romano Fenati took his maiden Grand Prix victory in Moto3 at Jerez in what was only his second GP. This 16 year old was considered one to watch for the future, but he has proved already that he is one to watch now!
After joining forces with the American Le Mans Series for the opening round at Sebring, the WEC is in Europe for round 2 at the fantastic Spa-Francorchamps. However, the expected arrival of the works Toyota cars into the championship has now been delayed until the Le Mans 24 following a heavy testing crash put the team's schedule back. Audi will be looking to take advantage of this as they field twelve drivers in four cars, two of which will be hybrid powered. Whilst the LMP1 class may be a little one-sided, there is plenty of competition for the LMP2 and the GT honours. However, Status Grand Prix have been forced to withdraw their LMP2 entry after Alex Sims crashed hard at the end Thursday’s second free practice session. The 6G impact at the top of Eau Rouge left the team without enough spares to rebuild the car.
In the last race before the traditional Month of May and the Indianapolis 500, the Indycar Series moves to Brazil and the streets of São Paulo. Will Power goes in to the race as heavy favourite after winning the last two events and taking the championship lead. He'll face competition however from the Brazilian drivers of Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, Ana Beatriz and series newcomer Rubens Barrichello who will be looking to impress in front of their home crowd.
We're trialling a new concept today, the Sidepodcast Hangout, where you can come and chat about F1 and more. Our first hangout appears on an off-race weekend and will be live for exactly three hours. The F1 calendar seems to be taking an odd shape this year, with bursts of action interrupted by lengthy breaks. This time we have the introduction of mid-season testing to whet our motorsport appetites, but what else are you doing to fill the gap? Holidays, much needed time with the family, catching up with other sports, or spending time chatting with likeminded fans on the web?
