The Valencia Street Circuit is a semi-permanent street circuit in Valencia, Spain which will host the Formula One European Grand Prix for seven years starting in 2008. Valencia or València is the third largestcity in Spain and the original latin name of the city was Valentia, meaning "strength", "valour", the citybeingnamed for the Roman practice of recognizing the valour of former Roman soldiers after a war.
Valencia Street Circuit has 5.4 km, 57 laps with a race distance of 308 km; 5 highspeed straches, 6 slow turns, 2 ideal spots for overtaking and a top speed around 306 km/h. The circuit has been criticised by the drivers for its lack of overtaking opportunites. There have only been 4 recorded overtakes since the race was first held in 2008, with none of them in 2009. Best Preview by Mark Webber:
The first race meeting on the circuit was held over the 23/24 August 2008 weekend, with Felipe Massa winning the main event, the European Grand Prix, after starting from pole position. The circuit utilizes the roads skirting around the city's harbour and America's Cup port area – including a section over a 140-metre-long (460 ft) swing bridge and also includes some roads designed exclusively for racing purposes by the German architect Hermann Tilke who also designed the infrastructural buildings for the circuit. The 2011 edition will be held on Sunday June 26th.
The deal to host the Valencia race was signed on June 1, 2007 and is for seven years. The deal was made between Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the Valmor Sport group, which is led by former motorcycle rider Jorge Martinez Aspar and Villarreal football club's president Fernando Roig.
The circuit has been criticised by the drivers for its lack of overtaking opportunites. There have only been 4 recorded overtakes since the race was first held in 2008, with none of them in 2009.
In 2008:
European Grand Prix was held on August 24, 2008. It was the 12th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team after starting from pole position. Lewis Hamilton finished second in a McLaren car, with Robert Kubica third in a BMW Sauber. During the race Massa was reprimanded by the stewards and fined €10,000 for nearly colliding with Adrian Sutil's car in the pits, but the Brazilian kept his victory.
In 2009:
European Grand Prix was held on August 23, 2009. It was the 11th race of the 2009 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Rubens Barrichello for the Brawn team after Lewis Hamilton took pole in the McLaren. Hamilton came second, while Kimi Räikkönen took third in the Ferrari car. It marked the first race of Frenchman Romain Grosjean in the Renault.
In 2010:
European Grand Prix was held on June 27, 2010. It was the ninth round on the 2010 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull Racing after starting from pole. McLaren team-mates Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button came second and third respectively. Championship contender Mark Webber was involved in an accident with the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen, resulting in the Australian's car launching into a flip, before crashing into the barriers. The release of the Safety car following the accident led to a controversial moment in the race, with Hamilton passing the safety car while Fernando Alonso was stuck behind, providing Hamilton with the opportunity to pull away. 20 minutes after Alonso had complained to the stewards, Hamilton was given a drive-through penalty, meaning to the dismay of the Ferrari driver he was able to maintain his position.
Fastest lap 1:37.587 - Sebastian Vettel, RedBull (2010)
Full throttle 69%
Power loss 6%
Tyre energy (1-3) 3
Brake energy (1-3) 1
Downforce level: Medium
Gear changes per lap 64
Fuel use per lap 2.9kg
Pit lane time loss 21 seconds
2011 prime tyre: Medium (2010: Medium)
2011 option tyre: Soft (2010: Super Soft)
Last year pole by Sebastian Vettel:
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