After a three-week break F1 heads to Spain for the fifth round of the 2010 championship.

At this race we will learn a lot about how the rest of the season is likely to pan out for two main reasons:

Firstly the Catalunya circuit is the ultimate test of a Formula 1 car. It’s for this reason this track has been the most popular venue for testing for a long time now. Hence why most drivers could probably drive the track with their eyes closed.

The car needs to have very good aerodynamic efficiency to cope with the track’s high speed and long corners.  Also Catalunya is one of the most punishing tracks on tyres. The tyres have to withstand heavy load in those long corners. Therefore having a car that is kind to its tyres is critical here.

Cars which lack in either of these key areas will be fully exposed. On the other hand if a car goes well around here then a team has plenty of reason to celebrate, as the likelihood is that the car will go well everywhere else too.  Recent history has proved this, as eight of the last 10 cars to win here have gone on to win the constructors championship.

Secondly as it’s the first European round of the season all the teams will be bringing significant upgrades to this race. Some of the teams will be bringing virtually different cars. With the field being so competitive in 2010 we could see quite a bit of movement in the pecking order up and down the field.

In the past we have seen Spanish GPs where there has been a lot of movement in the order. Although in other years we have seen a similar rate of development from all the teams and not much change.

Recently the 2005 Spanish GP was when we saw a very significant change. Renault had dominated the early part of the season, winning the first four. However in Spain McLaren brought major upgrades and completely turned the screw on Renault, with Fernando Alonso being able to do nothing to halt Kimi Raikkonen’s dominance of that race.

Last year’s Spanish GP saw Brawn GP’s advantage over its rivals being significantly reduced. Furthermore Toyota were the biggest losers as they slipped away from being front runners in the early races, back to their customary position in the midfield.

Despite the intrigue that the shake-up in the pecking order often provides at this race, Catalunya has had a reputation of processional races. Some say that it is even more important to have pole position at this track than even the streets of Monte Carlo. When the last nine races have been won from pole position (a Formula 1 record) it’s very hard to argue with that opinion.

In 2007 a chicane was inserted before the pit straight but even that has made no difference to overtaking. With less opportunity to overtake rivals in the pit stops, thanks to the re-fuelling ban, qualifying will be absolutely crucial this weekend.

Looking at the current form book (which could change this weekend) it should be Red Bull’s race to lose once again. They are regarded as having the most downforce of all the teams, and around Catalunya, that should give them a bigger advantage than at any other track we have visited so far. On the other hand the RB6 is very hard on its tyres, and that could be a big issue for them. However as long as they stay in front it will be hard for their rivals to overtake even with heavy wear on the tyres.

One thing you can guarantee this weekend is a feverish atmosphere at the track. The last two years the queues heading into the track haven’t been as long as normal, as Alonso’s chances of victory have been minimal thanks to an uncompetitive Renault.

This year it’s all different with his first year in a Ferrari, and once again a car that could win him the race. A large crowd to see Alonso’s first run in a Ferrari at Valencia over the winter months suggests the Spanish fans’ passion for Alonso has never been higher.

Mclaren will be ones to watch in Spain. No doubt Mclaren will have taken a big step forward at this race as is their quick rate of development these days in F1. The question will be whether they can take a big enough step forward to win a race on merit in normal dry conditions.

Jenson Button in particular will be a huge threat once again. His ability to look after the tyres should put him in very good stead around the hardest track on tyres.

Much was expected from Mercedes and Michael Schumacher preseason but it just hasn’t materialised yet. If Mercedes want to win the championship then they simply have to make a big impression at this race otherwise it will be too late.

There is no doubt that Schumacher is going to be the man with the biggest pressure on him this weekend. He has driven on the Catalunya circuit in each season of his career and been very successful there, winning six times. He will also be getting an upgraded Mercedes car more suited to his driving style. If he still doesn’t improve this weekend despite that then you really do wonder whether it will happen at all. Just a solid points finish ahead of Rosberg would be enough to help his confidence and keep the doubters silent.

The next question is whether any of the midfield teams can turn the big four into the big five. Renault have perhaps been the story of the year so far after very respectable results following their nightmare 2009 season. They would certainly be the most likely team to get in amongst the big four.

The new teams will also provide a fascinating talking point in Spain. Many fans will be as interested in the progress they make as the teams at the front. After four flyaway races, this weekend represents their first real opportunity to improve their cars.

Lotus in particular are targeting a big gain in excess of a second. Could they challenge to sneak into the second part of qualifying?

Overall it probably won’t be a thrilling race. It never is in Spain but there are number of big questions that we will get the answers to this weekend, and fans will be highly anticipating those answers.

• What will the pecking order in F1 be after the race?

• Can Mercedes make a big enough improvement to challenge for victories?

• Can Alonso win at home for Ferrari?

• Can Schumacher turn the screw on Rosberg and make an impression?

• Can one of the midfield teams cause a surprise?

• How close can Lotus get to the established teams?

Source: Bleacher Report

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull showed that why they were the most feared team before the season started as finally the Red Bull managed to hold up and Vettel drove the perfect race to finish a one-two for the team with Mark Webber coming in second.

Though rains made qualifying unpredictable with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren missing Q1, they stayed away from the race and though Vettel was not bothered much by anyone, there were awesome fights across all the other positions on track.

Lewis Hamilton drove one of his best races and though was at times a bit too aggressive, it was great to see him finish sixth after starting from the 20^th . Though towards the end he struggled to overtake Adrian Sutil, but it was a great site to see Force India keeping ahead of McLaren.

Teammate Jenson Button managed to come in eighth but was luckily to keep out Alonso,  who had gear problems which eventually not only caused him problems in overtaking Button, but with a lap to go the engine blew up causing him to lose two vital points.   Now he is tied second in the championship with Vettel while teammate Massa leads the table for Ferrari with a two point lead.

As expected this season should be a close one, but Mercedes GP who were title contenders before the season started finally managed to get to the podium with Rosberg taking a well deserved third place.

Not only he proved that he is faster than Schumacher but he showed that he has it in him to fight with the best. Schumacher once again had a disappointing race but this time he retired due to technical issues.  He did show glimpse of old form during the qualifying and by the second half of the season he should be back to normal.

Renault after a very good Australian GP where Kubica finish second, once again had a good race for Kubica as he managed fourth place. This was a crucial finish for the team as now in the Constructor’s championship, the team is well ahead of the rest and fast catching up with Mercedes.

Vitaly Petrov proved that he has all the talent in the world while going wheel to wheel with Hamilton and even successfully keeping him at bay for a while till Hamilton pulled an illegal move to overtake the Russian. It is only a matter of time before Petrov is scoring points, with a little luck.

Force India proved that early season form is no flash in the pan with Sutil finishing fifth.   The team managed to finish ahead of well funded teams like McLaren and Ferrari. Force India have started the season well, and if they improve further they have a good chance of getting one of their drivers on podium.  However, right now keeping up with the Renault team should be a challenge for the team.

William’s Nico Hulkenberg scored his maiden F1 points by finishing 10^th and though he was lucky at times, he managed to perform in an underpowered Williams which is fast losing out to Renault and Force India, while Toro Rosso was faster than the Williams during the Malaysian GP.

Toro Rosso also opened its account for the season with teenage driver Jaime Alguersuari scoring maiden points after a miserable last season. Alguersuari is very young and with experience he could become a very good driver in the future.

Sauber had a horrible weekend once again with reliability issues hurting them badly. Pedro de la Rosa failed to start the race while Kamui Kobayashi, who was looking good early on retired after eight laps only. Though Sauber is a quick car if they manage to sort out the reliability issues, they can score a few points.

HRT which had a very bad start to Bahrain looked better than both Lotus and Virgin Racing as the Spanish team had both drivers finishing the race. The team has improved a lot and both Lotus and Virgin had to seriously look at this team as they could emerge as the front runner among the new teams this season.

It is early days but it is good to see three different winners already this season and as many as five drivers separated by less than five points. It is also good see Kubica and Renault in the mix as well and though it may be an impossible task for the team.  Kubica is ahead of Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher as of now and just one point behind Lewis Hamilton.

Still early days but the F1 season after a boring start at Bahrain has really kicked off and it should only get better as the we head to China in two weeks.

Source: bleacher report

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Early this year, McLaren has signed Dutch kart racer Nyck de Vries to its young driver development programme. The 14-year-old is being managed by Anthony Hamilton and the Hamilton Management Group, who firmly believe in Nyck’s status as an up-and-coming junior racer.

This European Champion and winner of WSK in KF3 in 2009, Nyck De Vries made some spectacular debuts in the top category of karting, Super KF. The young Dutch driver (15 years) immediately engaged in a fight for victory against the best drivers in the world. Already very fast at the Winter Cup, at the wheel of his Zanardi-Parilla from Chiesa Corse Team, he quickly confirmed his excellent state of form when mounting on the second step of the podium at the inauguration of the WSK Euro Series, just behind double world champion Ardigo. An excellent result, which he immediately dedicated to the F1 McLaren Team.

Nyck De Vries impressed once again observers at the very beginning of 2010 season. However, the challenge he has taken is bound to be difficult. “My last season in KF3 has been really great, with many victories and performances always at the top. Then, I had to make a choice. Passing to KF2 was a good opportunity, but my team and circle thought I could learn a lot more by going straight to Super KF. For me, it means additional motivation”. The best Junior in 2009 has taken this new challenge with all the determination that characterises him: hard work, rigor, talent and mental strength.

The first round of the WSK Euro Series (7 March) came just at the right time to strengthen his confidence. In Muro Leccese (Southern Italy) he immediately showed his great potential by reaching the pole position.

In the final, he engaged in a hard-fought duel against the leaders. Nyck left nothing to chance! “I was very fast, my equipment went better and better lap after lap. Then, I passed Convers, but he passed me back and Ardigo took advantage of the situation to gain a little advantage. In the end, I regained the second place, but victory was out of reach. I am very satisfied of the weekend anyway and I am happy I could offer this result to McLaren; I am very thankful to them for the trust they placed in me. A great thank you to my team as well as to Dino Chiesa, Zanardi and Iame for their help”.

Now the young Dutch driver is second in the WSK provisional standings and his goals are growing more ambitious…

This just goes to show the raw talent that can be developed from Karting as your fundamentals. If a 15 year old boy can out race drivers that are more than 2 times in age and experience than he is, It surely isn’t just luck.

Only time can tell if Nyck will become the next F1 Prodigy.

Our prediction: No doubt about it.

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