SPANISH GP FACTFILE

After four flyaway races, Formula One returns to its traditional European heartland as Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya plays host to the Spanish Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton holds a fourpoint lead over his rival Sebastian Vettel after winning last time out in Azerbaijan. ● Hamilton leads the championship for the first time this season after winning the first race of his title defence in Baku a fortnight ago.

● Hamilton did not take charge of last year’s championship battle, which he ended up winning with two rounds to spare, until after the 13th round in Italy.

● The Englishman, 33, has not been off the front row in Barcelona since his final year for Mclaren in 2012. Hamilton did qualify on pole position in 2012 only to be excluded from qualifying for having insufficient fuel.

● He also has the most poles of any of the current drivers (three), while Vettel has never started from the front slot on the grid at the Spanish Grand Prix.

● Hamilton, however, has been on something of a qualifying drought recently. He last took pole at the opening race of the season in Australia, and has been out-qualified by his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in four of the last six races.

● Twenty four of the 27 grands prix staged at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya have been won from the front row (89 per cent) which is the highest ratio of any circuit on the calendar.

● Vettel has won this race once (2011), while Hamilton has triumphed on two occasions (2014 and 2017). Michael Schumacher holds the alltime record here with six victories. VENUE: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona CIRCUIT LENGTH: 4.655km/2.892miles LAPS: 66 RACE DISTANCE: 307.104km/190.825miles LAP RECORD: 1min 21.670secs (Kimi Raikkonen, 2008) 2017 POLE POSITION: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1min 19.149secs 2017 WINNER: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 2017 FASTEST LAP: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1min 23.593secs NUMBER OF CORNERS: 16 (7 left/9 right) TYRE COMPOUNDS TO BE USED: supersoft/soft/medium BUMPINESS: medium OVERTAKING CHANCE: low ENGINE SEVERITY: low BRAKE WEAR SEVERITY: medium GEARBOX SEVERITY: low WINNERS FROM POLE POSITION SINCE 2004 :10 NO OF SAFETY CARS DEPLOYED SINCE 2004: 5