Vettel and Hamilton could dispute pole position in Spain again

The European circuit of Grand Prix races begins in Spain this weekend, with Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton 3/1 joint-favourites to win in Barcelona.

Those two drivers battled it out for first place in last year’s Spanish Grand Prix, with Vettel pipping Hamilton marginally to claim success.

His Red Bull car’s well-balanced nature will suit the Circuit de Catalunya track here again, making the two-time world champion very easy to back again at 3/1.

It is worth noting that the driver taking off from pole position has gone on to win this race on nine of the past ten renewals of it, and Formula One leader Vettel could continue that tradition on Sunday.

However, a strong field of competitors on the grid make the race look very tough to call.

Lewis Hamilton will represent the only world champion on show who has never won at the track in Spain, so those believing he can break his duck in Barcelona will be inclined to back him at 3/1.

An impressive showing from Lotus at last week’s testing makes them look dangerous too, and Romain Grosjean could prove worthy of investment at a big 16/1, after he recorded the best time on both dry days of the Tuscany tests.

Michael Schumacher has the most victories at the circuit meanwhile, crossing the finish line first on six occasions, though his Mercedes car this year doesn’t look particularly well suited to the track, so he may be best avoided at 16/1.

Elsewhere, Kimi Raikkonen is the only other driver to have won this race on multiple occasions, so he could see some support as an 8/1 shot, after going close in Bahrain last month.

Jenson Button has also landed the chequered flag in Barcelona in the past, and the popular Brit is sure to attract interest at 7/2 to win with his McLaren.