Red marquis at 21:39, 24 October 2010

2010-10-24T21:39:43Z

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{{Motorsport venue
| Name = Valencia Street Circuit
| Location = Valencia, Spain
| Time = GMT +1
| Image = [[Image:Circuit Valensia street.png]]
|Image_caption = The swing bridge, an important element of the Valencia Street Circuit.<ref name="bridge">{{cite news|url=http://www.valenciastreetcircuit.com/noticias/noticia_25_close_swing_bridge_Valencia_Street_Circuit_ENG.html|title=Swing Bridge Already Closed – Valencia Street Circuit|work=Valencia Street Circuit|publisher=[[Generalitat Valenciana]]|date=2008-05-30|accessdate=2010-10-09}}</ref>
| Opened = 2008
| Events = '''[[FIA]] [[Formula One]]'''<br>[[European Grand Prix]]
| Surface = Asphalt
| Length_km = 5.419
| Length_mi = 3.367
| Turns = 25
| Record_time = 1:38.683
| Record_driver = {{flagicon|GER}} [[Timo Glock]]
| Record_team = [[Toyota Racing|Toyota]]
| Record_year = {{f1|2009}}
| Coordinates = {{coord|39|27|31.6|N|0|19|32|W|display=inline,title}}
}}
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.valenciastreetcircuit.com/noticias/noticia-60-Telefonica-principal-sponsor-of-the-f1-telefonica-grand-prix-of-europe-ENG.html|title=Telefónica, Principal Sponsor of the Formula 1 Telefónica Grand Prix of Europe – Valencia Street Circuit|work=Valencia Street Circuit|publisher=[[Generalitat Valenciana]]|date=2008-07-23|accessdate=2010-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Telefónica is European GP Sponsor (Translated from Spanish) |url=http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.valenciacircuitourbano.com%2F&langpair=es%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 |publisher=Valenciacircuitourbano.com |date=2008-01-28 |accessdate=2008-01-28 }}</ref> The first race meeting on the circuit was held over the 23/24 August 2008 weekend,<ref name="formula1.com">{{cite web
|url=http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/europe_798/
|title=The Official Formula 1 Website
|publisher=www.formula1.com
|accessdate=2009-03-29
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> 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<ref name="nzherald.co.nz">{{cite web | date = 2010-06-25 | url = http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10654299 | title = Motorsport: Spanish drivers eager to please home fans | publisher = nzherald.co.nz | accessdate = 2010-06-26}}</ref> – including a section over a 140 metre long swing bridge,<ref name="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.

== History ==

The deal to host the Valencia race was signed on June 1, 2007 and is for seven years.<ref>{{cite web | date = 2007-06-01 | url = http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/06/01/valencia_done_deal/ | title = Valencia deal done | accessdate = 2007-06-01}}</ref> 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. This deal goes back on comments made by Ecclestone previously stating that no European country should hold more than one race each year as Barcelona currently holds the [[Spanish Grand Prix]] each year.

Although now confirmed, the deal was rumored to be conditional on People's Party winning regional elections on 27 May 2007.<ref>{{cite web | date = 2007-05-10 | url = http://www.formula1.com/news/6058.html | title = Valencia street race for 2008 | publisher = The Official Formula 1 Website | accessdate = 2007-05-12 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070513232445/http://www.formula1.com/news/6058.html  |archivedate = 2007-05-13}}</ref> However, Ecclestone had clarified his comments on May 16, 2007: "I said I wouldn't formalise a contract until after the elections because I didn't know who I would be signing it with." He said his statements were taken out of context.<ref>{{cite web | date = 2007-05-16 | url = http://www.eemsonline.co.uk/news/16-05-07_21 | title= Ecclestone seeks to clarify Valencia deal | publisher = EEMS | accessdate = 2007-05-19}}</ref> Ecclestone has since been cleared of influencing the election by the Valencian Electoral Commission.<ref>{{cite news| title =Bernie Ecclestone cleared of influencing elections in Valencia, with Formula 1 announcement| publisher =bymnews.com| url =http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=10633| date =2007-06-21| accessdate =2007-06-25}}</ref>

The official track layout was unveiled by Valencia councillor and transport minister, Mario Flores, on 19 July 2007. The track was first used in the last weekend of July 2008, as the circuit hosted a round of the [[European F3 Open Championship|Spanish F3 Championship]] and [[International GT Open]]. It was first used for the European Grand Prix on August 24, 2008.

==Layout==

The track is 5.419 kilometres (3.367 mi) long and incorporates a total of 25 turns – 11 right-handers and 14 left-handers.<ref>{{cite web | date = 2007-07-20 | url = http://www.forumula1.net/2007/f1/f1-news/valencia-plans-revealed/ | title = Valencia plans revealed | publisher = Forumula1.net | accessdate = 2007-07-20}}</ref> It is estimated that the track has a top speed of around 323 kilometres per hour (201 mph),<ref>{{cite web | date = 2007-07-19 | url = http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=32151 | title = Valencia track unveiled | publisher = Pitpass | accessdate = 2007-07-19}}</ref> with a lap record of 1:38.683, held by [[Timo Glock]], which he set during the [[2009 European Grand Prix]]. Valencia is not as tight as [[Circuit de Monaco]] but overtaking opportunities are still relatively few, due to the straights not being straight and the dust off line. [[Nico Hülkenberg]] noticed quite a bit of space for a street circuit and some corners have a lot of run-off area. [[Robert Kubica]] suggested that good traction and good braking stability are crucial to win at this circuit because there is a lot of long straight lines ending with heavy braking.<ref name="nzherald.co.nz"/>

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. There is little space for improvements to the circuit to address this problem.

==2008 European Grand Prix==
{{main|2008 European Grand Prix}}
The 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 [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] team after starting from [[pole position]]. [[Lewis Hamilton]] finished second in a [[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]] car, with [[Robert Kubica]] third in a [[BMW Sauber]].<ref name=formula1.com-officialresult>{{cite web | url = http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2008/798/ | publisher = The Official Formula 1 Website |title = 2008 Formula 1 Telefonica Grand Prix of Europe | accessdate = 2008-11-10}}</ref>

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<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manipef1.com/news/2008/index.php?id=1902|title=Europe: Massa fined, keeps win |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=Manipe F1 |date=2008-08-24}}</ref>.

This was Bridgestone's 200th and Massa's 100th entry, and this makes Massa the only driver to date to win his 100th race.

==2009 European Grand Prix==
{{main|2009 European Grand Prix}}
The 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 GP|Brawn]] team after [[Lewis Hamilton]] took pole in the [[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]. Hamilton came second, while [[Kimi Räikkönen]] took third in the [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] car. It was notable for there not being one single on track overtaking manouvere, the first time since the controversial [[2005 United States Grand Prix]]. It marked the first race of Frenchman [[Romain Grosjean]] in the [[Renault F1|Renault]]. Barrichello's victory was the 100th for a Brazilian driver.

==See also==
*[[List of Formula One circuits]]

{{Formula One circuits}}
{{GP2 Series circuits}}

==External links==

*[http://www.circuitourbanovalencia.es The F1 Valencia Street Circuit Guide Site]
*[http://www.valenciastreetcircuit.com/index_eng.php The F1 Valencia Street Circuit Official Site]
*[http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/europe_798/circuit_diagram.html Valencia Street Circuit guide from Official F1 Site]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/7249387.stm BBC's circuit guide]
*[http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/8/8229.html More Monza than Monaco – why Valencia's no ordinary street circuit]
*[http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/8/8232.html City limits: Toyota on what to expect in Valencia]
*[http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/8/8235.html A lap of Valencia with Honda’s Mike Conway]
*[http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/8/8244.html Facts and figures – Valencia and its new street circuit]
*[http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/8/8245.html Valencia – the technical requirements]
*[http://maps.google.es/maps/ms?hl=es&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&msa=0&msid=115227997683311632225.00043a68df3bc1d993279&ll=39.45843,-0.327616&spn=0.016468,0.034332&z=15 Valencia F1 Street Circuit in Google Maps]

[[Category:Formula One circuits]]
[[Category:Motorsport venues in Spain]]

Valencia Street Circuit - Revision history

Red marquis at 21:39, 24 October 2010