Formula 1 Preview – Spanish Grand Prix

McLaren Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton: "After such a positive performance in Bahrain, we're fully aware that the characteristics of the Barcelona track won't suit our car so well. In addition, we won't have the bigger upgrades of some of the other teams as we already introduced several new parts during the opening flyaways, so it will be interesting to see where we sit in the order. Nevertheless, the engineers are optimistic that our new diffuser and front wing will once again help us to make progress towards the front of the grid."







Heikki Kovalainen: "Going back to the scene of last year's accident doesn't change anything for me: I really enjoy this track - I had a great race to fifth here in 2007 and I love the high-speed corners, where you've got to push hard to get the maximum from the car. It's also a circuit where you need to find the perfect balance to look after the tyres - and I really enjoy trying to find the best compromise for the race."






BMW Sauber

Robert Kubica: "After a block of four overseas races FormulaOne comes back to Europe, which I am happy about. As all Formula One teams have tested in Barcelona, I expect the pack to be very close together - even closer than up to now. We will bring a new aero package and we hope to improve significantly compared to our recent performance, as it is our goal to close the gap to the top teams. As we have all done a lot of kilometres here, I guess we could drive the circuit with our eyes closed."

Nick Heidfeld: "Like everybody in the team, I am also placing my hopes on our new aerodynamic upgrades. The team has put an incredible amount of energy into trying to close the gap to the leaders. I hope we will perform rather better against our rivals in Barcelona, but that's difficult to predict as all the teams will be bringing upgrade packages of varying degrees to the first race of the European season."

Williams

Nico Rosberg: "Last year was going really well for me and I was looking good for 6th place, but then a technical problem put me out of the race.With the new rule changes, this year really is all about who makes the greatest progress back at the factories with development. As with all the other teams, we'll have an upgraded car in Spain and I hope it will make the difference we need."

Kazuki Nakajima: "Last year, I had a good qualifying session and scored two points for the team coming 7th in my debut race. I didn't have the new parts on my car in Bahrain so I'm looking forward to trying those out in Spain and to see how the other new bits go. I'm sure that the upgraded package will be a step forward, we already know how much time it will give us, but it's all relative compared to what the other teams have done."

Toyota

Jarno Trulli: "We tested in Barcelona before the season but I have to admit it's unusual to be preparing for the race having not driven at the track for a couple of months. In the past we have generally tested there just before the race so everything was quite predictable, but it could be different this time. I am enjoying this season because we are consistently fighting at the front so I am really looking forward to the Spanish Grand Prix."

Timo Glock: "I have scored points in all the races so far - only two other drivers have done that - and I certainly expect to continue that run this weekend. But I hope to score a few more than in Bahrain; it was disappointing only to finish seventh after starting from the front row however the potential of the car is clear for everyone to see. We have an upgrade to the car this weekend so hopefully that can bring something extra but we will have to wait and see how the other teams develop as well."

Renault

Fernando Alonso: "It's always very special to race in Spain(Fernando's home race) and I'm lucky to have two races at home this year in Barcelona and Valencia. Seeing the support of the fans always gives me a boost and I just hope that I can make them happy and have a strong weekend. It will be difficult to fight for the podium, but hopefully we can qualify well and score some big points in the race."

Nelson Piquet Jr: "It's the circuit that I know the best, but it's not one of my favourites because it's not especially challenging for the drivers. It's all about having a good aero package and a well balanced car to cope with the high-speed corners. It's therefore difficult to overtake, so you need to qualify well to be able to choose a sensible strategy for the race. Barcelona is also really demanding for the tyres and so we need to see how the different compounds perform during long runs on Friday."

Force India

Adrian Sutil: "This year I did nearly 1,000km there! This means you can go to the circuit with a set-up that's pretty much ready to go. Let's see how the upgrades go. The modifications in Bahrain worked better than we thought and gave us about four tenths a lap, but we have to keep introducing more new parts to just stay with the others."

Giancarlo Fisichella: "In Bahrain we showed we had a much better car than in previous races but we still need another couple of steps and then we will be able to challenge for points. Last year we had a good race and finished 10th but as we've seen reliability with everyone has been very good so we shouldn't make too many predictions. It's not going to be easy as the others are improving as well, but I think a good result would be top 12."