2011 Spanish Grand Prix

Championship standings

Vettel leads on 93 points, 35 clear of Hamilton on 58. Webber is third on 55, Button fourth on 46 and Alonso fifth on 41.

Previous race

Vettel won Turkey from pole ahead of Webber and Alonso, Ferrari’s first podium of the year. McLaren struggled with a series of slow pit stops. Mercedes showed pace in qualifying but were fuel-heavy and running the harder prime compound in the race, and fell away from the leaders.

Car upgrades

Every team brings upgrades for FP1. Ferrari introduced a new rear wing that was subsequently banned by the stewards after scrutiny. Red Bull are confident of a one-second advantage in qualifying terms.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the hard/soft combination — the same as Bridgestone used at Barcelona for the past two years. A new “extra hard” compound — designed specifically for endurance rather than outright pace — is introduced for this race.

Practice

Webber was fastest in FP1 by over a second from Vettel, with Rosberg third. He topped FP2 again, this time with Hamilton second and Vettel third.

Vettel topped FP3 despite electrical problems that limited his running. Nick Heidfeld’s Renault caught fire during FP3, causing extensive damage that the team could not repair in time for qualifying.