Valencia Street Circuit facts for kids
- Not to be confused with Circuit de Valencia
The swing bridge, an important element of the Valencia Street Circuit
|
|
| Location | Valencia, Spain |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT +1 |
| Opened | 2008 |
| Major events | FIA Formula One European Grand Prix |
 |
|
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 5.419 km (3.367 mi) |
| Turns | 25 |
| Race lap record | 1:38.683 ( Timo Glock, Toyota, 2009) |
The Valencia Street Circuit was a special race track in Valencia, Spain. It was called a "semi-permanent street circuit" because it used regular city roads, but also some parts built just for racing. This track was home to the Formula One European Grand Prix for several years.
The very first Formula One race here was on August 24, 2008. Felipe Massa won that exciting event. The circuit wound through the city's busy harbor and the area where the America's Cup sailing race was held. A cool feature of the track was a 140-meter long swing bridge that cars raced over. A famous German architect named Hermann Tilke designed the special racing parts of the track and its buildings.
History of the Valencia Race
The agreement to hold races in Valencia was signed on June 1, 2007. This deal was set to last for seven years. The Valmor Sport group helped make this happen.
The official design of the track was shown to the public on July 19, 2007. This was done by Mario Flores, a local transport minister. The circuit was first used for smaller races in late July 2008. These included the Spanish F3 Championship and the International GT Open. The big event, the European Grand Prix, took place on August 24, 2008.
Track Design and Challenges
The Valencia Street Circuit was about 5.4 kilometers (3.3 miles) long. It had a total of 25 turns, with 11 turns to the right and 14 to the left. Race cars could reach very high speeds, around 323 kilometers per hour (200 miles per hour).
Compared to other street circuits like Circuit de Monaco, Valencia was not as tight. However, drivers found it hard to pass other cars on this track. The straight sections were not perfectly straight, and the track often got dusty off the main racing line.
Drivers often complained that there were not enough chances to overtake. In the first race in 2008, only four passes were recorded. In the 2009 race, there were no passes at all. It was also difficult to change the circuit's design to make passing easier.
Images for kids
-
The Valencia Street Circuit during a GT Open race.
-
The abandoned Valencia Street Circuit in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Circuito urbano de Valencia para niños
