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Stat Attack: Spain

Michele Merlino delves into the archives to run through the form guide ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend

Another record for Rubens

Rubens Barricello already holds the record for the most starts in Formula 1 history, but if he starts this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix he will break into the top 10 for most consecutive starts as well. The last raced he missed was the 2002 French Grand Prix, 166 races ago.

Driver

Length

Start

End

Next/notes

Riccardo Patrese

187

Belgium 1982

Australia 1993

End of career

David Coulthard

175

Brazil 1995

Canada 2005

U.S.A. 2005, Michelin tyre issue

Alain Prost

160

U.S. Long Beach 1981

Brazil 1991

San Marino 1991, spun off on the warm-up lap

Ayrton Senna

149

Europe 1984

San Marino 1994

Fatally injured during the race.

Thierry Boutsen

138

Canada 1984

Belgium 1993

End of career

Gerhard Berger

132

Mexico 1989

Europe 1997

End of career

Jean Alesi

129

Monaco 1994

Japan 2001

End of career

Michael Schumacher

124

Malaysia 1999

Brazil 2006

End of career

Heinz-Harald Frentzen

118

Spain 1994

Great Britain 2002

France 2002, not qualified

Michele Alboreto

117

Austria 1981

Portugal 1989

Spain 1989, not pre-qualified

Jacques Villeneuve

117

Australia 1996

Australia 2003

Malaysia 2003, retired.

Rubens Barrichello

116

Germany 2002

ONGOING

Kimi's drought

Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren MP4-19B Mercedes) leads the 2004 Belgian Grand Prix © XPB

Kimi Raikkonen is currently enduring one of the longest win droughts of his career. His last victory was exactly a year ago in Spain, 18 races ago. This is his longest winless streak since he went 19 races without a win between the 2005 Chinese and 2006 Brazilian GPs.

Raikkonen's longest drought was from his maiden victory in the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix (in his 35th start) to his second in Belgium in 2004; 27 races over one year, five months and six days.

Renault at 250

Renault will make its 250th start in Formula 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix, tying with Jordan in 11th place on the all-time list. The list is headed by Ferrari on 780, with McLaren second on 652.

Personal scoreboard - Spain

Lewis Hamilton is yet to win the Spanish GP, but has finished on the podium in his two apprearances so far, second in 2007 and third in 2008.
Kimi Raikkonen has won twice in Spain, in 2005 and 2008 - the latter being his most recent GP victory.
Nick Heidfeld has only finished in the points three times in nine Spanish GPs, the last being in 2006 when he was eighth.
Fernando Alonso had finished on the podium in five straight Spanish Grands Prix until last year, when he retired with an engine failure. He has won the race once, in 2006.
Nico Rosberg has only finished in the points once at Barcelona, sixth in 2007, and has never made the top 10 in qualifying.
Jenson Button has never qualified higher than fifth (in 2003) in the Spanish GP and hasn't finished higher than sixth (2006 and 2008).
Rubens Barrichello has finished on the podium three times at Barcelona, and started from the front row in 2002 and 2003. But he has never won the race and hasn't scored points since 2006.

Vitantonio Liuzzi (Toro Rosso STR01 Cosworth) during the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix © LAT

Teams round-up

Ferrari is the most successful team in the history of the Spanish Grand Prix with 11 wins in 38 races. The team has won six of the last 10 events and only missed the podium in 2005.
• The last of McLaren's eight wins in Spain came in 2005 for Kimi Raikkonen.
Renault was ever-present on the podium at Barcelona between 2003 and 2006, but both cars retired from last year's race.
BMW-Sauber's best result in Spain is fourth place in 2007 and 2008, and also the team's best qualifying result, for Robert Kubica last year.
Toro Rosso has only posted one finish in the three editions of the Spanish Grand Prix it has contested (15th place for Vitantonio Liuzzi in 2006).

Other notes about the Spanish Grand Prix

The winner of the Spanish GP has come from pole position 14 times, from second place three times and just once from thrid on the grid. The race has been won from pole position every year since 2000, when Mika Hakkinen did it from second on the grid.

Anniversaries of the race weekend

May 10, 1959: Jack Brabham scored his maiden victory in Monaco, which was the starting point for him to take the drivers' title and the first constructors' championship for a rear-engined car, the Cooper-Climax T51.

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