Spanish GP: six things you need to know

After 18 years sporting a silver paintjob, McLaren have taken the unexpected step of altering their livery mid-season.

A new ‘graphite-grey' body adorned with orange highlights was unveiled by the Woking team on Wednesday, with a spokesperson explaining that the new look would optimise the car "for not only bright sunshine but also for the floodlights increasingly used in twilight and night races."

Which is corporate speak for: "the old chrome finish was blinding our drivers."

After a three-week break since the last grand prix in Bahrain, Formula 1 arrives in Spain for the first of eight races in its European leg, with later stops at Monaco, Austria, Britain, Hungary, Belgium, Italy and, um, Canada.

Doubts have been cast over the future of F1 in Europe, following the loss of the German GP from this year's calendar, with fears over the health of the Italian GP at Monza as well.

Organisers at Silverstone have added to that list this week, with managing director Patrick Allen admitting that smaller races would be relied upon to subsidise the circuit's showpiece event.

No doubt fans will forget these iconic venues when they visit the streets of Baku next season...

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - as it's now known - will give the teams a broad examination this weekend with its mixture of high and low speed corners.

Windy sections of the track can also make optimum setups difficult to find, although this is expected to become less of a problem as conditions settle after the practice sessions on Friday.

Predictably tyres will be a big factor on the outcome of the race, although brake performance could also have an impact as well. Red Bull and Mercedes in particular have struggled in this area recently, and it will be interesting to see if they have managed to improve a component which is reportedly near its limit already.

"In no case is a driver ready for Formula 1 at 17."

So said Mika Hakkinen last year when it was announced Max Verstappen had secured a seat at Toro Rosso for this season. However, the Finn has apologised this week in light of the teenager's recent performances.

"I'm happy to admit I was wrong," Hakkinen reportedly told a Spanish newspaper. "It is an example that times have changed. F1 technology is now very powerful and the information the drivers get is much higher - amazing - which you can study to become a better driver."

Max will be hoping for better fortune this weekend than Mika himself managed at Barcelona in 2001, when he agonisingly retired from the race lead just five corners from the finish.

Lewis Hamilton's performances so far this season may have been out of this world, but Niki Lauda has taken the metaphor a step further this week by saying the world champion is "driving like an extra-terrestrial."

We assume that's meant as a compliment, though we're struggling to recall any aliens with particular racing pedigree. ET was pretty handy on a bike, mind.

Maybe that's where Sebastian Vettel got the inspiration for his one-fingered celebration?

F1 drivers have many ways to unwind between races, although Valtteri Bottas seems to have registered a first in his time away from Williams this week.

The 25-year-old tweeted a picture of himself clay pigeon shooting with a friend, apparently proving to be a half decent shot with a rifle.

No word yet on what Williams' insurance department made of their €1 million driver being in the company of a loaded gun...