The Official Valencia GP Thread 2012***SPOILERS***
Discussion
60 odd laps around the docks.
Although this, undoubtedly, will be one of the dullest races this season, it still counts towards the championships...unfortunately.
Anyway, for anyone that's never seen this race before, the pits are based in a fish market.
Mega last sector that should suit McLaren, but not a good circuit for racing. Ij fact I can only remember one genuine pass in the whole of last year's race, which was Button on Rosberg(?).
I suspect that it's the last time F1 will be going here, so maybe there is something to cheer about after all.
Although this, undoubtedly, will be one of the dullest races this season, it still counts towards the championships...unfortunately.
Anyway, for anyone that's never seen this race before, the pits are based in a fish market.
Mega last sector that should suit McLaren, but not a good circuit for racing. Ij fact I can only remember one genuine pass in the whole of last year's race, which was Button on Rosberg(?).
I suspect that it's the last time F1 will be going here, so maybe there is something to cheer about after all.
apologies for the overly cynical post
I never understand why this race always turns out to be one of the worst of the year.
The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
Redlake27 said:
I never understand why this race always turns out to be one of the worst of the year.
The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
ZERO run-off compared to a 'bit' of runoff, and no flow compared to lots!The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
Redlake27 said:
I never understand why this race always turns out to be one of the worst of the year.
The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
Its literally a sea of grey for a start... like being sat in a VW. There's no scenery, just concrete.The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
I think the problems are its a street circuit - Montreal isn't used very much but the circuit surface is pretty good. Valencia is public roads and I think there is a grip issue, they run quite a bit more downforce here than Montreal.
There is something about the entry to the corners that mean there is only one line, go off that and its very difficult to make a move stick.
There is something about the entry to the corners that mean there is only one line, go off that and its very difficult to make a move stick.
Paul Hembrey's tipped Schumacher to win:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100478
I'm going for:
Quali:
Alonso
Hamilton
Grosjean
Vettel
Rosberg
Webber
Schumacher
Maldonado
Button
Raikkonen
Race:
Hamilton
Alonso
Vettel
Grosjean
Perez
Webber
Schumacher
Button
Rosberg
Kobayashi
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100478
Autosport said:
Michael Schumacher should be considered as a serious candidate to become Formula 1's eighth winner in Valencia this weekend - judging by his performance on the streets of Monaco last month.
That is the view of Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery, who thinks that the tight confines of the European GP venue which puts a premium on grid position should play to the same strengths that helped Schumacher set the fastest time in qualifying in Monte Carlo.
"I think you have to look at someone like, maybe Michael getting the pole position," Hembery told AUTOSPORT.
"He probably would have won Monaco if he hadn't been penalised, so why not there? Michael for Valencia, that's where the money needs to go."
F1 is looking for its eighth different winner of the season in Valencia, and Hembery believes that the nature of the circuit means starting from the front is essential - because overtaking is so hard.
"We know Valencia is a tough track to create an exciting race," he said. "It's hard to overtake and it's got elements of Monaco from that point of view.
"There will be some high temperatures, of course, and we're going there with the soft and medium tyre, so we should have less degradation.
"There will not be the challenge that we had in Canada, with the super soft being pushed to its limit, so that is why track position is going to be fundamental. You've got to really get a good qualifying in Valencia."
Hembery believes teams are getting a better understanding of what they need to do to extract performance from the tyres for that crucial single lap pace - but still reckons they face a challenge in actually achieving their targets
"The teams themselves have got a pretty good idea of what they're aiming for, but it doesn't mean they can obtain what they want," he said.
----That is the view of Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery, who thinks that the tight confines of the European GP venue which puts a premium on grid position should play to the same strengths that helped Schumacher set the fastest time in qualifying in Monte Carlo.
"I think you have to look at someone like, maybe Michael getting the pole position," Hembery told AUTOSPORT.
"He probably would have won Monaco if he hadn't been penalised, so why not there? Michael for Valencia, that's where the money needs to go."
F1 is looking for its eighth different winner of the season in Valencia, and Hembery believes that the nature of the circuit means starting from the front is essential - because overtaking is so hard.
"We know Valencia is a tough track to create an exciting race," he said. "It's hard to overtake and it's got elements of Monaco from that point of view.
"There will be some high temperatures, of course, and we're going there with the soft and medium tyre, so we should have less degradation.
"There will not be the challenge that we had in Canada, with the super soft being pushed to its limit, so that is why track position is going to be fundamental. You've got to really get a good qualifying in Valencia."
Hembery believes teams are getting a better understanding of what they need to do to extract performance from the tyres for that crucial single lap pace - but still reckons they face a challenge in actually achieving their targets
"The teams themselves have got a pretty good idea of what they're aiming for, but it doesn't mean they can obtain what they want," he said.
I'm going for:
Quali:
Alonso
Hamilton
Grosjean
Vettel
Rosberg
Webber
Schumacher
Maldonado
Button
Raikkonen
Race:
Hamilton
Alonso
Vettel
Grosjean
Perez
Webber
Schumacher
Button
Rosberg
Kobayashi
Crafty_ said:
I think the problems are its a street circuit - Montreal isn't used very much but the circuit surface is pretty good. Valencia is public roads and I think there is a grip issue, they run quite a bit more downforce here than Montreal.
There is something about the entry to the corners that mean there is only one line, go off that and its very difficult to make a move stick.
Street circuits aren't a problem - Singapore's good, Monaco's Monaco, and the new New Jersey track looks ace. There is something about the entry to the corners that mean there is only one line, go off that and its very difficult to make a move stick.
The problem, looking at the map of the circuit, is that all of the fast bits have high speed corners on them.
That means that nobody can get close enough to try for a pass at the slow corners which Tilke put at the end of the "straights". Most of the circuits this year have had a reduced DRS effect; I expect they'll try and wedge more in for Valencia.
Redlake27 said:
I never understand why this race always turns out to be one of the worst of the year.
The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
It's to wide, relatively speaking Montreal is a fairly narrow track so mistakes are easily punished. Valencia is a wide track and all the corners that have the potential for mistakes to be made have wide run off's meaning nothing is punished. The circuit is similar to Montreal - which always produces one of the best races.
It has long straights, hard braking areas and close walls which should mean many safety cars. But it is always dull.
I don't get it...
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