The Formula 1 circus re-groups after its three-week summer break to visit the first all-new venue on the 2008 calendar - the impressive street circuit in the Spanish port city of Valencia.
European Grand Prix organisers have created a unique and demanding 25-corner circuit that winds around the Juan Carlos I marina, home to the 32nd America's Cup yacht race. However, unlike traditional Formula 1 street circuits, whose tight and twisting configurations place a premium on qualifying at the front, the Valencia track is fast, sweeping and wide, and offers several potential opportunities for passing.
Official simulations have estimated a top speed of 200mph at the end of the main straight and an estimated laptime around the 1m 37s bracket.With an estimated average speed of 125mph, Valencia should be on a par with a venue such as Bahrain (average speed of 128mph) and far higher than Monte Carlo (94mph).
The Spanish venue will mark the fifth home for the European Grand Prix, which has been held at Brands Hatch, the Nürburgring, Donington Park and Jerez since its inception in 1983.
LEWIS HAMILTON
Has the time spent away from the racetrack allowed you to reflect on the state of the championship and your rivals?
“To be honest, I already spend quite a lot of time between the races analysing the data and keeping fit. This summer break gave me the opportunity to get away from that and focus on just recharging my batteries. Looking back at the season so far, it feels like a different championship compared to last year: 2007 was very intense and consistency was incredibly important. This year, everybody’s results have been more varied and every driver who has won a race has also failed to score on at least two other occasions. That’s made getting strong results even more important, but I think we’ll see consistency becoming crucial as we head towards the end of the season.”
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HEIKKI KOVALAINEN
What did you do after celebrating your maiden Formula 1 victory in Hungary?
"I had very much a working holiday: I spent some time in Woking with my engineers preparing for this weekend and I also spent some time back in Finland, at my home town of Suomussalmi, where I help organise an annual karting event in the town. Obviously, having just won the most recent grand prix made it a fantastic event for everybody. It was my first time back in Finland for quite a long time, too, so it was great to turn up as a grand prix winner!"
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MARTIN WHITMARSH, CEO FORMULA 1, VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES
What particular difficulties does a track like Valencia present to the team?
"In terms of car set-up, we need to remember that, like Monaco, the track will be both green and dusty on the opening day of practice. That sometimes tempts you into playing with set-up more than you would like, so you need to resist that temptation and let the track come to the car. Our simulations suggest we'll employ a downforce level similar to that of Hockenheim, but the individual demands of the track may push that window up or down. Finally, anybody who's studied any onboard footage of the circuit will be mindful of the proximity of the concrete barriers in certain areas - clearly, we'll be packing plenty of spares, but hoping we won't need to use them!"
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NORBERT HAUG, VICE PRESIDENT, MERCEDES-BENZ MOTORSPORT
The European Grand Prix will be held on a new street circuit; a new challenge after Silverstone, Hockenheim and Budapest. Will a fourth consecutive win be possible?
"Lewis, Heikki and the entire team performed excellently achieving three race wins in a row. Since the beginning of the previous season, we have won 13 out of 28 races and if possible, we want to improve this success rate. However, the maiden race in Valencia will be a new game for everybody."
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