Once one of the most sterile events on the Formula 1 schedule, the Spanish Grand Prix now sees a spectacular outpouring of patriotic passion as Fernando Alonso's countrymen flood into the Circuit de Catalunya to cheer their hero.

Before Alonso's emergence, Spanish motorsport fans were more focused on motorbikes and rallying than F1 and the Barcelona track tended to host dull races in front of small and reserved crowds.

Not any more – as the explosion of national excitement over Alonso's home win in 2006 proved.

But while the crowd fervour may have rocketed, Catalunya still tends to see processional racing.

Because it is one of the primary winter testing haunts, the track is somewhat over-familiar to teams and drivers, and therefore the least likely venue for a surprise result.

That wasn't the case in 1996, when a downpour allowed Michael Schumacher to steamroller all opposition and take his first win for the then less-than-competitive Ferrari team.

And it is ironic that a track notorious for its lack of passing opportunities was the scene of one of the most unforgettable pieces of racing seen in F1, as Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna went wheel-to-wheel at 200mph in the 1991 event.

Catalunya's fast final two corners were revised for 2007 after complaints that the run-off was insufficient given the escalating corner speeds.

This alleviated safety concerns, but did little for the quality of racing, and emasculated the track's finest section.

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