Postcard from Barcelona

At Imola I lamented upon my bad luck at car rental desks, and I didn't expect anything to change at Barcelona. However, when the Hertz lady looked a little concerned as she rifled through the box of keys, searching for something cheap and cheerful, I began to sense a change for the better.

It seems that there were no SEAT buzzboxes left in the car park. There was a distinct lack of Opel Corsas. They were sadly bereft of VW Polos. Instead I was offered a bright red convertible with a turbo engine, a natty six-speed sequential gearbox, and a heritage shared with a current F1 team. Well she didn't actually spell it out like that. She just said, 'Would you like a Smart Roadster?'

Alas it's not a Ferrari, but this little toy is a lot of fun, a sort of enclosed go-kart with hairdryer inspired styling. It would be have been an ideal tool for the undulating roads around Imola, but unfortunately the route to the Circuit de Catalunya is not quite so inspiring. From Barcelona it's a 20 minute highway trip, and while the road is undulating, the traffic jams endless views of factories are not terribly inspiring, and the truck drivers are not very sympathetic as they wander into your path.

Even without a sporty car to play with, the Spanish GP is always an enjoyable weekend, especially if you opt to stay downtown. Surprisingly, a lot of folk prefer to stay near the circuit, which is great if you like views of motorways from your room, but I've always gone for the heart of the city. In fact my place of choice is right next to the Ramblas, the city's famous promenading venue, the place to see and be seen.

It's a bit like staying opposite Piccadilly Circus, and it's heavily touristy. Waiters patrol the streets and try to interest you in their set menus, and the shops are packed with little plastic replicas of Gaudi's fabulous cathedral. To find the real Barcelona you have to venture a little further away, check out all the little back alleys and impossibly narrow streets. An evening stroll is never dull, as that's when the locals come out in force, and there are endless bars and restaurants to explore. There's never a dull moment, although you do have to hang on to your wallet, as there are some dodgy characters around.

After 13 years the circuit itself has begun to acquire a little bit of history, and it's like an old friend, especially for those who regularly attend tests. It has enough ups and downs and fast bits to remain interesting.

A few years ago you would have said that Barcelona was somewhere near the top of the list of venues that were surplus to requirements, but Fernando Alonso has changed all that. Whereas before there seemed to be little reason at all to have a race in Spain, he's encouraged a whole new level of interest in the sport in his homeland. On race day the atmosphere is sure to be a little bit manic as fans from his home province arrive by the busload.

There is one other team with a Spanish connection this weekend. Jordan continues to surprise us with oddball liveries on its engine cover, courtesy of Bahrain, which has the rights to that space. In Bahrain itself the CND logo was used, and in Imola it was a picture of Ayrton Senna. This weekend there's a picture of a molten clock face, which seems to drip off the airbox.

A veiled reference to the cooling properties of the Cosworth V10? Or a suggestion that time is running out for Jordan? In fact it's advertising 'Dali 2004', an exhibition marking the centenary of the birth of the legendary artist, one of the heroes of the Catalan region. Somehow you don't expect F1 to provide such cultural enrichment...