Valencia streets to host F1 GP

**4me2** · 10th May 2007

The harbourside circuit will draw comparisons with Monaco

Valencia will host a Grand Prix from 2008 after agreeing a deal with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
The race, to be called the European Grand Prix, is scheduled for late in the season on a newly-designed circuit around the Spanish port's streets.
The seven-year agreement is conditional on the People's Party holding power in local elections to be held this month.
"The contract will not be signed until after the election, but I'm convinced it will happen," said Ecclestone.
"This will be an urban circuit rather than a street circuit and even better than some of the ones that are already on the calendar."
The new deal means Spain will have two Grands Prix next year, with Barcelona staging the other.

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Ecclestone has previously said that no European country should have more than one race.
The Valencia circuit will be between 4.1-4.3km (2.5-2.7 miles) long and its harbourside location is bound to draw comparisons with the Monaco Grand Prix.
According to Spanish media, Ecclestone insisted the race must be on a street circuit rather than the nearby Ricardo Tormo track in Cheste which hosts a round of the MotoGP and is also used for F1 testing.

To have a race on the streets when we have a circuit only 20 or 30km away in Valencia is a little bit difficult to understand

Fernando Alonso

Valencia's willingness to pay an estimated 26m euros (�17.5m) to stage each race as well as the boom in popularity of F1 in Spain, sparked by the emergence of double world champion Fernando Alonso, are seen as major factors behind the decision.
"Four years ago, we didn't have even TV coverage and now we will have two Grands Prix, so that's very special," said two-time world champion Alonso.
The McLaren driver is at a loss to understand though why there will be a street circuit when the Ricardo Tormo track lies on the outskirts of the city.
"The direction Formula One has tried to go in the last couple of years is to improve safety," added Alonso ahead of his home race this weekend in Barcelona, which has an agreement to stage a race until 2011.
"We have changed the last couple of corners here in Barcelona to slow down the cars.
"Now, to have a race on the streets when we have a circuit only 20 or 30km away in Valencia, that is a little bit difficult to understand what the Formula One bosses want. "But for us, so far as it is safe and they put in what is required to make it safe we will race anywhere."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/6642777.stm