McLaren announced today that it will form a new multi-year Formula 1 technology partnership with Honda. From the start of the 2015 season, McLaren's Formula 1 cars will race using Honda engines and energy recovery systems, renewing an association that became one of the most successful and powerful in Formula 1 history during the 1980s and ’90s.

Today’s announcement not only heralds Honda’s decision to take on the challenge of Formula 1 after a six-season absence, but also signals the reappearance of Honda turbo power in grand prix racing. Honda broke new ground in the 1980s by creating a turbocharged engine that was unparalleled in both its output and its efficiency. Those same challenges have once again brought the Japanese manufacturer back to Formula 1 as grand prix racing adapts to the introduction of an all-new 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 formula from next year.

Fernando Alonso took victory in the Spanish Grand Prix in front of a raucous home crowd at the Circuit de Catalunya this afternoon. The Ferrari driver came out on top in a battle of tyre strategies, a measured race ensuring he beat the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen by a comfortable margin of 9 seconds. The scarlet cars’ performance was underlined by a strong performance by teammate Felipe Massa coming in third.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel had to settle for fourth with the Red Bull not quite there on race pace, dropping out of contention mid-way through the race.

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton locked out the front row of the grid in Barcelona today for Mercedes, with the former scoring his second consecutive pole position and the team's third in a row at the Circuit de Catalunya this afternoon. With Lewis in second place, both Mercedes will start from the front row for the first time since the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix. Rosberg recorded a time of 1:20.718 and was more than 0.2 seconds quicker than Hamilton

Sebastian Vettel was in third place for Red Bull Racing just 0.082 seconds behind Hamilton, with his teammate Mark Webber further down the grid in 8th place. Kimi Raikkonen will complete the second row of the grid in his Lotus with a time of 1:21.177. The third row was all Ferrari with Alonso edging out Felipe Massa by just 0.001 seconds.

Following a three week lull in activities, the engines will scream again in the familiar territory of Barcelona to kickstart the European leg of Formula One’s 2013 campaign this weekend. The Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, a short hop from the Mediterranean city, hosts the 43rd running of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Grand Prix is the teams’ third visit to Barcelona this year, with Catalunya the preferred destination for winter testing at the head of the season. With its blend of corners the track is a barometer circuit putting the cars through a thorough workout, a perfect test bed for the first big upgrade package of the season for all teams.

Sebastian Vettel brought home career win number 28 at the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir this afternoon, in a race he controlled from the front in an unbeatable Red Bull. Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean flanked the German on the podium, underlining the black and gold cars’ pace on the weekend. The result is a repeat of the event from 2012, but the coming together of that outcome was a rather different race to a year ago.

It was an entertaining race with battles up and down the field right upto the last corner, action that was afforded by different pit-stop strategies employed by the teams. The favoured plan was a three-stopper for the majority of the front-runners, but Raikkonen proved a two-stop strategy was not far off by finishing 9 seconds adrift in second.

Mercedes were the surprise package in qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir this afternoon, with German Nico Rosberg dominating proceedings through clinical one-lap performances. The result is Mercedes’ second pole in a row, and only the second in Rosberg’s career.

Initial expectations pointed to a three way battle between Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, with the Mercedes struggling in practice sessions. Steady improvements through the Saturday and cooler conditions however came together perfectly for the German marque’s first consecutive pole since the 1950s.