Formula One returns to Europe for the 44th Spanish Grand Prix this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain at 8:00 a.m. ET (2:00 p.m. local time).
Here are three things you need to know.
The Venue
The run from the start line to the first corner at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the longest in Formula One at 730 meters. The first two sectors of the course are quick, while the third sector is slower, and will require the drivers to put their technical abilities on display.
[Courtesy: Formula 1]
Mercedes duo look to continue their dominance
Lewis Hamilton will look for a fourth consecutive win, while teammate Nico Rosberg hopes to hold on to the championship lead.
Hamilton notes that he will be racing in Spain for the first time without having tested the circuit during the winter.
I've never won in Barcelona but I'm in a good place right now and I'm hoping that this will be the year, although it's clear who the fans' favourite will be! The circuit is fantastic, our car has performed well so far and I'm really looking forward to a good race.
Rosberg expects some stiff competition when the race begins on Saturday.
It's also only now that we can slowly begin to get an idea of how the different cars stack up in terms of performance. Each team will have been pushing hard during the break since the last race to find some extra performance from new parts.
A win in Spain would be a major boon to the team - the winning driver in Spain has gone on to take the season title 14 times.
Red Bull ready for return to Europe
Sebastian Vettel will be happy to arrive in Barcelona, as the number one car has won 11 of the last 22 grand prix events held on this circuit.
Red Bull has provided him with a new chassis for the race, where they also intend to introduce a "major upgrade."
Chief designer Rob Marshall notes that the first and last European races are prime opportunities for a change.
The Spanish Grand Prix is probably the first opportunity for teams to bring a big upgrade to the car during the season.
The cars have been on the other side of the globe for the first quarter of the year and teams' R&D departments will have been busy coming up with large upgrade packages to bolt on the car for the first time in Spain.
Red Bull is currently second in the constructors' standings.
