It's been quite an unorthodox start to the 2023 F1 season.

Not, in the sense that we've had a host of new venues to go to, but more in the way the campaign has opened up.

Bahrain, Saudi, and Australia kicked us off over March and April before a four-week gap ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, which was followed by a trip to Miami a matter of days later.

Imola was then rightly cancelled due to heavy rain before back-to-back events in Monaco and, this weekend coming, Spain.

In all of that, there's been sometimes an upset rhythm to the calendar, a great amount of travelling around the globe, and a host of races on street tracks or temporary circuits.

We do, of course, have a good idea of the pecking order this year in F1 but, as we had to the very familiar surroundings of the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, there is a feeling that this weekend we might really start to see just who is where - and by how much compared to their rivals.

This is a circuit that has been pounded around by many of the drivers lap after lap in testing and pre-season periods, and is one that provides a great examination of the car, especially with teams having plenty of data from years gone by on what is needed to be quick around the track.

The feeling of familiarity is one the drivers are probably quite happy about as the European season starts to tick on - bar a trip to Canada in two weeks - towards the summer break, too.

It's a period of the season as well where teams usually bring in plenty of upgrades, and that is the case for Spain, and will be for the races ahead.

It might seem a little silly to suggest the true picture of the season will only start to be painted now given we have had six races, but this is a race weekend the teams have been really looking forward to, as they get to see just what their car is like on a conventional track, and how their upgrades are performing, good or bad, around a circuit all can draw blindfolded.

As Fernando Alonso said ahead of the weekend in terms of Aston Martin's standing: "We have to see in a normal circuit, what is the package of Mercedes and the upgrades that Ferrari will bring apparently to Barcelona as well." A clear nod to this weekend providing some clarity as to who is where.

Indeed, Ferrari TP Fred Vasseur also subscribes to the theory, saying:

"Barcelona is more relevant and we will have a better view of the [race pace] situation. I hope that we will do a step forward in Barcelona but it won't be the end of the development for the car."

Red Bull will likely still be on top of course, but how close will Aston Martin be to them? Will Mercedes' upgrades get them closer to the fight at the front? Are Alpine going to join the battle regularly for podiums after their P3 in Monaco?

There are plenty of questions going around for each team and we should be about to get some big answers on which to build moving forwards.