Here is a slightly modified version of a quickie race report originally filed for Times Online. More on the race at Montmelo later.
The Spanish Grand Prix proved what the build-up to the race had suggested, that the Ferrari's are out in front in this year's design race just now and Kimi Raikkonen in particular has hit a rich vein of form.
With a one-two for the red cars from Maranello - Felipe Massa drove a solid race to finish second - Raikkonen has now extended his world championship lead after four races from three to nine points from Lewis Hamilton in second.
For the McLarens it was a mixed and dramatic afternoon. Hamilton who started fifth on the grid, made an excellent start (reminiscent of some of his best last year) and got ahead of Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber. He then drove a steady race to finish third with Kubica tracking him all the way to the finish.
Hamilton's team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, meanwhile, endured a frightening high-speed crash on Lap 22 when his front left wheel exploded going through Turn 9. The Finn's car buried itself and him in the tyre wall, but amazingly he appears to have escaped with only concussion and a sore elbow after experiencing 29Gs and an impact lasting 100 milliseconds (according to Martin Whitmarsh).
The local hero Fernando Alonso starting from second on the grid in what some of his fans have dubbed the Renault "family car", was immediately taken by Massa and then drove unchallenged in third place until, predictably, he became the first of the leaders to pit.
At the halfway point, Alonso had just inherited fifth place from BMW's Nick Heidfeld (who was penalised for re-fuelling when the pitlane was closed), when the Spaniard's engine caught fire, ending his race, to the disappointment of his thousands of fans, many of whom left before the finish.
Only 13 cars completed a race which saw a long safety car period while Kovalainen was recovered from his heavily-damaged car.
Rubens on his record-equalling 256th start, had a race to forget and retired after driving one lap with his front wing impaled under the front suspension.