Zoom Honda hoping to crack the top ten with revisions

Round four of the championship takes Honda to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. The 66-lap race is held at the 4.655km (2.892mile) Circuit de Catalunya and marks the start of Formula One's European season.

The track has staged the Spanish Grand Prix every year since 1991 and is also a renowned F1 testing facility, thanks to its demanding and varied layout. The track has undergone various 'facelifts' in its 17-year history, the most recent of which took place two years ago, when a chicane was added prior to the final corner.

Honda completed a successful four-day test session at the track this week, where new mechanical and aerodynamic components were evaluated on the RA108 car, and the team enters the Spanish Grand Prix weekend hoping to challenge for a points finish.

Such is the technical challenge provided by the Circuit de Catalunya, that there's no hiding from a poor car, and, conversely, a good car is likely to shine. It's a track where every aspect of set-up needs to be right in order to be quick.

The teams do a lot of testing at Barcelona because it throws up a bit of everything. The long pit straight demands good aero efficiency, there are some very challenging slow speed corners, off-camber and on-camber, and a couple of high-speed corners. If your car is quick here, it should be competitive at most tracks on the F1 calendar.

The circuit has changed quite a lot in recent years. A chicane has been built at the end of the lap to slow the cars through the final corner and the track was resurfaced in 2006. After losing a lot of grip initially, the new asphalt has rubbered-in and is now quicker than the old surface. However, it creates a medium-to-high frequency ripple effect along the straights, which can feel a bit odd for the drivers and gives some interesting data.

Ross Brawn, Team Principal

How do you expect the Honda Racing F1 Team to perform at the Spanish Grand Prix?
"The team has made good progress at each race so far this season, gaining in confidence and performing better on each occasion. Our recent development push on the RA108 with a new aerodynamic package, suspension modifications and driveability improvements showed pleasing results during the four-day test this week. I expect these developments to add to our competitiveness and improve our points scoring potential at the Spanish Grand Prix and the races to follow."