Some people might be surprised to know that various streets in Valencia, Spain were built for racing cars. Hermann Tilke, a German architect, designed certain roads and buildings to be included in a race through public roads, along the harbor and over a 460 foot swing bridge called the Valencia Street Circuit used in the Formula One European Grand Prix that started in 2008.
Formula One racing cars, also called F1 or Formula 1, are a single seat auto that is considered the highest class or car approved by the Federation Internationale de l ’Automobile, or FIA. These cars are not the type to be driven on a day to day basis. They sit low to the ground, have huge tires, the driver is open to the air and they have large spoilers in the back of the car.The vehicles are usually painted bright colors with advertisements to their sponsors.
These vehicles travel up to and above 220 miles per hour and are designed to take above 5 g as they go around corners. Aerodynamics plays a large part in the efficiency of cars. Formula One racing began in 1906 and became very popular in Europe and in the United States. Formula One racing inValencia is just one of the areas in which races take place.
There is schedule throughout the year, usually starting in Australia and ending in Brazil, andthe driver that wins the most in the schedule wins the FIA Formula One World Championship. Monte Carlo is another well-known race on the schedule. The track in Valencia is all asphalt and runs about 3.3 miles with 11right-hand turns and 14 left-hand turns. The race is completed in about 57 laps, or repetitions of the track.
The average speed on the track is about 201miles per hour and the lap record is held by Timo Glock at 1:38.83. Streets are somewhat narrow making it hard for cars to pass each other to get ahead making this track very challenging. There are five areas where passing, or overtakes,can regularly be made easily. The Valencia Street Circuit is a bit controversial. It was set up to host arace for seven years in 2007.
It is not normal for the FIA to sanction a race in a country that also has another race site. Spain also has another circuit in Barcelona, so it was unusual for another site in Spain to be selected. Starting in 2013 Barcelona and Valencia will alternate sites for the schedule and in 2013, there will be no race in Valencia. It will be back in Valencia in 2014.
The Valencia spot on the schedule has been given to a track in New Jersey inthe United States, but that has not yet been confirmed. In 2008 the winter of the race was Felipe Massa sponsored by Ferrari and 2009 winner was Rubens Barrichello for Brawn. In 2010 the winner was SebastianVettel sponsored by Red Bull and in 2011 he won again.
The 2012 race was very exciting. Sebastian Vettel held the lead for 33 laps when Fernando Alonso took the lead and won the nail-biting race at the finish line. If you are planning on going to Spain to see the grand prix you will have to book your accommodation in advance. You can find apartments for your stay in the city from luxury to Budget with Get ReadyValencia.
