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Race – selected team and driver quotes
Williams' Bruno Senna and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher on the collision that ruined both their races; Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber on the Red Bull's nose issues; McLaren's Lewis Hamilton on being the only driver on a two-stop strategy; and Williams' Pastor Maldonado on taking his team's first victory since 2004. All 24 drivers and senior team personnel report back on Sunday...
Paddock Postcard from Barcelona
Sir Frank Williams was pleasantly surprised in the paddock by a 70th birthday celebration for him on Saturday evening, just as it emerged that Pastor Maldonado had taken the team's latest pole position. Many friends stopped by, including Bernie Ecclestone who made a speech, Adrian Newey and Lewis Hamilton despite the Briton's impending penalty from the race stewards.
On Thursday Ron Gourlay, chief executive of British football club Chelsea, brought the team's recently-won FA Cup to Sauber as they initiated their new relationship, one that proves Formula One racing is not as insular as some might like to think.
Qualifying analysis – Maldonado wins the waiting game
After a bizarre Q3 session in which even the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher declined to set times in the name of tyre strategy, things got even stranger when Lewis Hamilton lost his pole position due to a rule infringement. Williams' Pastor Maldonado thus starts from P1 on the grid for the first time in his F1 career, but what was really going on in Barcelona on Saturday? We examine the form book, team by team
Romain Grosjean Q&A: Lotus the perfect place to be
It would have been a crying shame had Romain Grosjean not been given the chance to show his true colours again after his disappointing first Formula One stint back in 2009. On Sunday in Spain the young Frenchman and his on-form Lotus will start from the second row, one place behind Fernando Alonso, the man indirectly responsible for his previous F1 exit. And Grosjean will no doubt be out to show his former team mate just how times have changed
Q&A with McLaren’s Jenson Button
Saturday in Barcelona was not Jenson Button's day. Oversteer, and then understeer, ruined his running in qualifying and the best Button could muster was 11th on the grid. Although team mate Lewis Hamilton's penalty promotes him up to tenth, the Briton is still wondering where the speed he enjoyed on Friday has gone
Hamilton excluded from qualifying; Maldonado on pole
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has lost his pole position for Sunday's Spanish race after the stewards found his car did not have sufficient fuel onboard to comply with the rules on its return to parc ferme.
As a result of the decision, Williams' Pastor Maldonado inherits pole for the Barcelona round, whilst Hamilton - excluded from the qualifying results - will start from the back of the grid
FIA post-qualifying press conference – Spain
Drivers: 1 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 2 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams), 3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
Q: Lewis, McLaren's 150th Formula One pole position today. You really had to manage to the process though, parti
Qualifying – selected team and driver quotes
Bruno Senna on spinning and beaching his Williams in the gravel; Charles Pic on a speedy Q1 run which saw him outpace his team mate Timo Glock for a second race in succession; McLaren's Jenson Button and Red Bull's Mark Webber on failing to make it through to the top-ten shootout; Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi on his hydraulic leak; and Lewis Hamilton on claiming McLaren's 150th pole position. All 24 drivers and senior team personnel report back on Saturday...
Qualifying – Hamilton on pole from Maldonado
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton grabbed a sensational pole position here in Barcelona on Saturday afternoon, pushing surprise frontrunner Pastor Maldonado one place down the Spanish grid.
Maldonado had been very quick for Williams in Q2 and had just snatched P1 from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and the Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen with 1m 22.285s when Hamilton redefined the parameters with 1m 21.707s
Qualifying – Hamilton on pole from Maldonado
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton grabbed a sensational pole position here in Barcelona on Saturday afternoon, pushing surprise frontrunner Pastor Maldonado one place down the Spanish grid.
Maldonado had been very quick for Williams in Q2 and had just snatched P1 from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and the Lotuses of Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen with 1m 22.285s when Hamilton redefined the parameters with 1m 21.707s
Final practice – Vettel moves ahead in Spain
Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in a very tight final practice session in Barcelona on Saturday morning, but it would have been a very close-run thing had McLaren's Lewis Hamilton not been blocked at the end of a very fast lap by traffic.
Vettel lapped his Red Bull in 1m 23.168s to depose surprise fastest man Pastor Maldonado, whose 1m 23.336s for Willams had earlier upset a Sauber one-two
Friday analysis – a tale of two tyres (and testing)
The biggest task on a Friday of perfect weather was for teams to bridge the two-compound gap between Pirelli's chosen hard and soft tyres, something that had many of them scratching their heads. The other priority was to see how the updates tried in Mugello last week performed in the more familiar surroundings of the Circuit de Catalunya. We take a team-by-team look at day one in Spain
FIA Friday press conference – Spain
Team representatives - Pierre Wache (Sauber), Paul Hembery (Pirelli), Mark Smith (Caterham), Giorgio Ascanelli (Toro Rosso), Adrian Newey (Red Bull), Sam Michael (McLaren).
Q: Pierre, welcome, you're Head of Vehicle Performance at Sauber. First of all, give us some indication of Mugello testing. Were your findings confirmed here? Were you satisfied with the test?
Lewis Hamilton Q&A: Tyre management could decide title
Lewis Hamilton was one of the few top drivers absent from last week's Mugello test. And while Jenson Button's Friday pace in Spain showed that McLaren's test drivers no doubt did their job in Italy, Hamilton was not quite so happy with his MP4-27. He is convinced, however, that there's no major issue. As long as his engineers can get on top of the minor details - and he can get on top of the Pirelli tyres - the 2008 champion should still be in for a good weekend
Sebastian Vettel Q&A: Pole more critical in Spain
Despite teams' varying programmes, just a second covered the top ten cars in Friday practice in Barcelona, proof indeed of just how tight things will be this weekend. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is riding high on the back of his Bahrain win and a positive Mugello test which has almost certainly boosted the RB8's performance. Now he wants to plant it on pole on Saturday
Friday practice – selected team and driver quotes
The home crowd had something to smile about in the morning session with local hero Fernando Alonso setting the early pace in Spain. But in the afternoon Alonso slipped down to 14th in the order and the power had seemingly shifted to McLaren's Jenson Button and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who were separated by over a tenth in first and second. The drivers and senior team personnel report back on the opening day in Spain
Practice Two – Button leads in Barcelona for McLaren
Jenson Button emerged at the top of the timesheets after an hour of the second practice session here at the Circuit de Catalunya on Friday, and stayed there for the remaining 30 minutes as everyone switched to their long runs.
The 2009 world champion lapped his McLaren in 1m 23.399s, just 0.164s ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull on 1m 23.563s. Nico Rosberg was within three-tenths for Mercedes, on 1m 23.771s, with Lewis Hamilton half a second shy of his McLaren team mate on 1m 23.909s with the Lotuses of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean right behind on 1m 23.918s and 1m 23.964s respectively.
Practice One – home advantage to Alonso
Fernando Alonso set Spanish hearts racing here in Barcelona on Friday morning by taking his Ferrari to the fastest time in the first practice session, nearly fourth-tenths of a second clear of Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull.
Alonso lapped in 1m 24.430s, Vettel in 1m 24.808s, but Kamui Kobayashi and Jenson Button were close, with 1m 24.912s and 1m 24.996s for Sauber and McLaren respectively
Tyres and driver etiquette hot topics in Barcelona
In the build-up to this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton says he won't be treating the event any differently even if it does start the first European leg of the 2012 championship.
It's the same as any other race. To come into the European season and have high expectations is the wrong way to approach it in my opinion
Exclusive Q&A with Force India’s Paul di Resta
A glance at the 2012 driver standings shows that in terms of points at least, just like Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, Paul di Resta is the man currently delivering for Force India. Fresh from his eight-point haul in Bahrain - but a less satisfactory Mugello test - Di Resta is looking to continue his upward trajectory in Barcelona this weekend