Herbert signs for next five GPs

Sky Sports F1 HD have announced that three-time Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert will be providing expert analysis as part of their team at the next five race weekends, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix next week.

After making his debut on the channel over the Chinese Grand Prix, Johnny has now signed up for the next five races in Spain, Monaco, Canada, Europe and his home British GP, where he famously took his maiden F1 victory in 1995.

The former Benetton, Sauber and Stewart driver will also appear alongside presenters Georgie Thompson and Ted Kravitz on the weekly F1 Show.

Speaking during a phone-in conference with invited journalists on Friday, Johnny predicted that Lotus - fresh from their two-car podium finish in Bahrain and a pacesetting week at the Mugello test - were well placed to become the latest 2012 winner when the season, and his Sky F1 duties, resumes in Barcelona next weekend.

"They have a chance," he said. "It's funny, I was speaking to Anthony Davidson last week and he thinks that the circuit isn't so bad with the tyres, but I personally think it actually will be. I know the surface has changed a little bit but I think the way that the window of these tyres seems to be working at the moment that there is still going to be an issue.

"That window, I think, will be key and Lotus do seem to have a car, and the drivers and maybe the engineers as well, with an understanding of how to get that tyre in that window.

"I think they've shown speed all the way through the season so far, but it just clicked together properly in Bahrain.

"So I think yes [they can win]. From what we saw in Mugello, I think they can actually move forward in a positive way."

But after the first four rounds of the season witnessed four different winners from four different teams for the first time since 1983, Herbert admits predictions for Barcelona continue to be very difficult for all concerned.

"It's not going to be a simple one," he added.

"We can all see how the championship is at the moment. There's no guarantee that the guys that you expect to be quick - let's say Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Red Bull seem to be back on course, I don't think they're properly back on course yet because I think the predictability is so varied at the moment, I don't think anybody can make the call.

"But the guys that have been probably been the most consistent, strangely enough, have been Lotus in many ways."