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Street racers line up in Valencia
Round eight of the F1 season, the European GP in Valencia, Spain, is sure to deliver twists and turns – not just among the drivers but also because of the track layout.
The long straights and slow corners are similar to Canada’s Gilles Villeneuve circuit but there the likeness ends. Despite being a street track, it permits high average speeds.
There are 25 corners in its 5.419km – the most in the 2011 calendar – so it’s a supreme test of driving skill and concentration. The prevalence of slower corners creates a go/slow/go race... a tough challenge for brakes and then of tyres under extreme traction – and the performance of Pirelli’s medium compound tyre is an unknown.
NOT TOO THRILLING
Teams were allowed to test the compound during a free practice session in Canada two weeks ago but this weekend will see it used for the first time as one of the two compounds available for all sessions. The other supersoft compound, as used in Monaco and Canada, will be the option tyre this weekend.
Valencia has not delivered a thrilling race since it opened in 2008; it’s been the opposite. Mark Webber described it best as “a supermarket car park” and this weekend overtaking opportunities will still be scare, despite two DRS zones.
Earlier this week the FIA confirmed that engine mapping could no longer be changed between the qualifying on Saturday and racing on Sunday. Such mapping can include altering anything from how many cylinders are used to the amount of fuel burned and there is a belief that the FIA ruling is a bid to break Red Bull’s stranglehold on qualifying.
A conspiracy theory, perhaps, but it does seem odd to enforce the ban mid-season; the FIA has not provided a compelling argument for the immediate change.
SO PROVE IT, RED BULL...
It reminds me of the mid-2006 season ban on Renault’s mass-damper system. Fernando Alonso’s domination was broken; though he took the title it allowed Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher to significantly close the gap.
Despite his not winning in Canada, Sebastian Vettel’s 60-point lead still makes him the driver to beat. The Red Bull RB7 has proved its traction proficiency out of slow corners – good for Valencia – but the team is generally expected to be hardest-hit by the engine mapping ban.
Still, the team has maintained that it’s the entire RB7 package that delivering lap times. Saturday qualifying should prove that, then?
McLaren has closed on Red Bull; that should continue this weekend with Jenson Button’s brilliant victory two weeks ago affirming his determination, but his team mate Lewis Hamilton has the spotlight, though for all the wrong reasons.
The 2008 champion may well want to make amends for recent behaviour on and off the track. The last two races have been memorable for the Brit (again, for the wrong reasons!) so it is vital that he has some error-free weekends to get on track for championship.
From the streets of Monaco to Canada and now Valencia, Formula 1 is serving up a street-racing fest for drivers and fans. We’ll see on Sunday who has the street savvy to claim the 25 points.
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