Formula One / Thomas Cowie / 07 May 2009 /

After four action packed races, Formula One descends on Europe as Spain plays host to Round Five of the Championship. Tom Cowie provides the lowdown on the Circuit de Catalunya...

Bahrain was undoubtedly Brawn GP and Jenson Button's most satisfying victory. The first race of the campaign not to feature either rain or a safety car provided the platform from which they unequivocally nailed their colours to the F1 mast, and confirmed their status as serious title contenders.

After three races in the wilderness, it was ironically the desert which provided Ferrari with their first points of the season - Kimi Raikkonen's sixth place finish stopping the rot and ensuring that 2009 would not become the Scuderia's worst ever start to a campaign.

The Circuit de Catalunya hosted its' first grand prix in 1991, and has remained on the calendar ever since. Despite often being described as being in Barcelona, the circuit is in fact located in Montmelo.

One thing is for sure - the teams will have no trouble finding the circuit as it has become one of the most popular European testing venues over the past decade.

The reason for this is the 'all rounder' nature of the track - the combination of slow and fast corners not to mention an enormous main straight means that it is possible to analyse virtually any part of the car's aerodynamic and mechanical performance.

Despite the vast mileage the teams have clocked up round here, it can all count for nothing over a race weekend due to the frustratingly unpredictable wind, which can completely change the handling characteristics of these delicately balanced machines in seconds.

The circuit has certainly seen it's fair share of drama over the past 18 years - perhaps most famously in the inaugural race when Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna raced wheel to wheel down the straight at 180mph - their wheels literally inches from one another.

Michael Schumacher also recorded notable wins here - winning for Benetton in 1994 despite being stuck in fifth gear for half the race. He displayed similar adaptability two years later, when he recorded his first victory for Ferrari here, in quite appalling conditions.

Ferrari were victorious here last year, with Raikkonen leading home Massa for what would be the Finn's second and final win of the year.

Currently trading at [16.0], that win looks set to remain Raikkonen's most recent. In the sister car, a frustrated Felipe Massa will just be looking to get off the mark this term - at [18.0], it seems highly unlikely that he will be opening his account with a win.

Despite Lewis Hamilton's best efforts in Bahrain, McLaren are still struggling to get the MP4-24 up to speed. At [11.5] for the win, another weekend of frustration looks to be in store for the reigning World Champion.

Toyota flattered to deceive in Bahrain - the car is definitely quick, but they will need to be smarter in their race strategy if they wish to break their victory duck. At [17.5] and [21.0] respectively, both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock remain decent punts.

Red Bull continue to improve, and are currently the biggest threat to Brawn GP. Sebastian Vettel is becoming a regular visitor to the podium and at [6.2] for the win, don't count against F1's youngest ever winner clocking up his third career victory on Sunday.

Once again, Button and Brawn find themselves pre-race favourites. The Briton finished sixth here last year in a rare points finish for Honda - the championship leader will be looking to do substantially better this time out, and at [3.3] the market suggests that he will.

Whatever the outcome, Button will still lead the Championship on Sunday evening - by how much will depend entirely on the endevour of the other teams as Europe finally welcomes this remarkable F1 season.

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