Grand Prix-view: Taking Our Cues From Q3

The first leg of the European part of the Formula 1 season is this weekend, as the boys with the fast cars journey to Barcelona. The track, I must say, is very nice. For someone who hasn't been into F1 for very long, it is reminiscent of Fuji, with a long straight and then a bunch of curvy bits. The Turn-1-2-3 complex is one of my favorite turn complexes in all of motor sport, and remember, I haven't actually seen a race on it yet.

Qualifying was intense, well, more intense than qualifying should be. As Q3 was winding down, it looked as though Rubens Barrichello had P1 wrapped up, and then Sebastian Vettel took the spot in a Red Bull, but Brawn was not to be outdone, as Jenson Button laid down one of the best qualifying laps I've ever seen, landing the pole position.

The big winner for Qualifying: The Fans Who Watched It.
There wasn't really a bad or slow moment, as it seemed like every lap was important this time, unlike previous qualifying sessions.

The big loser: Kimi Raikkonen.
Kimi ran a quick lap in Q1, and then pulled a Massa. He pulled into the pits and parked it and sat in the car, thinking his time would hold. It didn't, and the Fin dropped to P16

Listed Below is the finishing order for qualifying:
Q3
1 J. Button Brawn GP
2 S. Vettel Red Bull
3 R. Barrichello Brawn GP
4 F. Massa Ferrari
5 M. Webber Red Bull
6 T. Glock Toyota
7 J. Trulli Toyota
8 F. Alonso Renault
9 N. Rosberg Williams
10 R. Kubica BMW

Q2
11 K. Nakajima Williams
12 N. Piquet jr. Renault
13 N. Heidfeld BMW
14 L. Hamilton McLaren
15 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso

Q1
16 K. Räikkönen Ferrari
17 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso
18 H. Kovalainen McLaren
19 A. Sutil Force India F1
20 G. Fisichella Force India F1

Now, for the race tomorrow, expect some action. The cars seem fairly equal, and especially fast. In practice Friday 12 cars posted better lap times than Kimi Raikkonen's established fastest lap at the track.

No McLaren Mercedes reached Q3.

Ferrari qualifyed in the top 5 for the first time since 2008. Formula 1 sites are thinking that Ferrari is sandbagging, but the results like P5 and P16, it's hard to know for sure.

Which brings us to the big finish, our prediction for Spain.
Podium Finishers:
1. Jenson Button, Brawn GP
2. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
3. Timo Glock, Toyota