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What a weekend that turned out to be. Formula One kicked off the European leg of the calendar in some style and once again it was a weekend full of thrills and spills, with a whole host of impressive performances throughout the grid.
While everyone's thoughts will no doubt be with the personnel affected by the fire in the Williams garage after the race, when attentions turn to the action on track, it's very hard to look beyond the fantastic performance by Pastor Maldonado, who etched his name in history in style.
Here are a few talking points from an eventful weekend in Spain.
Maldonado Reigns In Spain
Twelve months ago Pastor Maldonado was being panned as nothing more than a 'pay' driver, struggling in a racing series far above his abilities and only offering Williams bags of Venezuelan bolívars.
Fast forward to this season and the South American has looked a different man. His resurgence has typified that of the Williams team, and his victory in Barcelona showed the kind of level-headedness and ability that underlines just what Sir Frank Williams saw in him.
Maldonado has threatened to crack the top tier this season, and was just half a lap away from securing a well earned sixth place, but in Spain we saw a driver who kept his head after being overtaken on the first corner by Fernando Alonso, and after jumping the two-time world champion in a well calculated pit stop, comfortably kept him at bay.
It was an impressive drive by Maldonado that etched his name in history as the first ever Venezuelan to win a grand prix. No wonder President Chavez announced a national holiday.
Williams' Resurgence Continues
There was a time where Williams was the benchmark for Formula One. This is a team which has won nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' championships. Williams were a team which knew how to win, with particular emphasis on the word knew.
Last year was Williams' worst season in their history. Over the course of the 2011 calendar they managed to score just five points in the constructors' championship and in some respects, even that was too many.
This season has marked a resurgence in their fortunes though. People were asking questions about the decision to drop the experienced Rubens Barrichello for the inconsistent Bruno Senna, and partner Pastor Maldonado a 'pay' driver. Come the Australian Grand Prix those questions were starting to be answered.
Maldonado's strong performance around Albert Park and Senna's encouraging showing offered hope that Williams could break out of their slump. The next three races offered more to the purist and Sunday's victory in Spain for Maldonado vindicated Sir Frank Williams' decisions wholly. Not only did they enjoy their first team win since Juan Pablo Montoya took maximum points at the Brazilian Grand Prix of 2004, but they looked the real deal, fending off Fernando Alonso and ultimately coasting home.
Schumacher Must Shoulder Some Of The Blame
This is the worst start Michael Schumacher has made to a Formula One season. Five races have yielded just two points, with the seven-time world champion finishing no higher than tenth. At first you feel a degree of sympathy with the veteran driver. Two retirements, mixed with two disappointing performances suggest that while this is a Mercedes car which has the tools to challenge, a few creases still need to be ironed out.
Then the red mist descended and Schumacher launched a confusing attack on tyre supplier Pirelli, first labelling their compounds "unbefitting for Formula One", before describing the tyres as like "driving on raw eggs", whatever that feels like.
However Sunday's collision with Bruno Senna all of a sudden changed attitudes towards Schumacher. His finger wagging towards the Brazilian seemed hollow, with Schumacher probably as annoyed with himself and his stuttering season, as he was with anything else. While it's more noble to put your hands up and admit blame, it's so much easier to pass the buck onto someone else.
Whether or not you think that Senna broke too early, the fact remains that Schumacher can't keep blaming everyone else.
Hamilton Can't Get A Break
Poor old Lewis Hamilton. He just can't seem to get a break. Last season it was Felipe Massa proving to be a constant thorn in his side and this year it's his own team. After enduring the frustration of pit stop failings, Hamilton had pole snatched off of him after it transpired that his car had failed to meet fuel regulations for qualifying.
While it is not the first time McLaren have been found guilty of this, it certainly hasn't done Hamilton's relationship with the team any good. With rumours that he could leave at the end of the season, constant sabotage won't help quell the talk.
Nevertheless, the former world champion put in a blistering display from the back of the grid, scything his was through the field to finish in a respectable eighth place.
Does Anyone Want To Win The Championship?
What a weird season this is. Five races contested, with five different winners and five different constructors. Now contrast that with the scenario last year where Sebastian Vettel had amassed 118 points, winning four of the opening five races.
Before the season began most of the Formula One public would have hoped for a year of open racing, with a tighter midfield and a smaller gap between the so-called 'big teams' and the rest of the field, but this is just nuts!
While I'm not complaining in the slightest, a small part of me wonders whether anyone will grab the proverbial bull by the horns and march away with the championship. Here's hoping not. As the final day of the Premier League has shown, the drama of a final day decider can be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Read more blogs and articles by Simon Knights here. Follow Simon Knights on Twitter @SimonKnights
