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ith almost a quarter of the season already gone, we head back to Europe and Formula One'€™s heartland.

Barcelona this weekend is such a significant race as it usually gives a very strong indication of who will be the favorite for the rest of the year. Although this is not a hard and fast rule, as we saw Maldonado win last year and yet he did not come close to producing that form for the rest of the year.

Nonetheless, it is the race for which all teams make significant upgrades on their cars to improve their performance, and they do this for a variety of reasons.

First, with all the F1 teams based in Europe, it is the first race close to home and it is easier, therefore, to transport bulky parts. Second, it is the circuit that is tested most, so teams and drivers know exactly how and why any new parts work (or don'€™t work in some cases).

Third, Barcelona has a variety of corners and straights that give you better insights to other tracks further into the calendar.

Also, the first two sectors make up some long medium- to high-speed corners where you need a good aerodynamic balance in the car. Aerodynamics are still king when it comes to producing a fast F1 car.

RedBull as championship leader will be feeling the most relaxed of the teams coming into this weekend'€™s race.

Historically, the first sector has always been RedBull territory but from what I have seen over the last year, the others have made big strides in medium- to high-speed corners and I do not think they will be any quicker through those.

Where they seem better now are on the slow corners with excellent traction and good rotation mid-corner. So, I actually think they will be hard to live with through the third sector. RedBull should be confident of fighting for the win.

Ferrari on the other hand will be under pressure to produce a win. It is Alonso'€™s home track and he always pulls off something special there, especially in an underperforming car.

However, he does not have that this year, because Ferrari is actually very quick now and even better on tires than RedBull. What they need to do is to cut down the mistakes to zero (in contrast to Bahrain) and challenge for the win, which I expect them to do.

The best car on the grid for race pace has to be the Lotus, as they look after their tires so well. As a slightly smaller team compared to others like RedBull or Ferrari, this weekend will show if they have the resources to fight for the title.

If their updates work and they take a race win, then you would have to say they are very much in the championship mix.

Of all the teams on the grid, McLaren will be the one most under the microscope. As one of the largest teams and with such a rich heritage, they need to perform better. Button was playing down the updates they will be introducing, but I think that is to try and release some of the tremendous pressure they are under.

The package they bring to Barcelona must work if they are going to be a contender this year, and they will at least be hoping to fight for a chance on the podium.

In 2014, there will be changes made to the regulations and the cars themselves, and all of the teams have split their resources so that they can work on next year'€™s cars as well as develop this year'€™s 2013 cars.

But by the end of the weekend, if some of the smaller teams look like they are not getting on top of their current cars, I can see them directing more attention on their 2014 cars and in effect giving up on their current cars. This is another reason why this race in Barcelona is so important.

There will be battles up and down the field and I will enjoy seeing which teams have got them right.

Catch Alex Yoong on STAR Sports for coverage of this weekend'€™s Spanish Grand Prix starting with Formula Friday, and continuing with Race Day and Chequered Flag! Watch all LIVE races in high-definition on FOX SPORTS PLUS.