After the streets of Montreal's Ile Notre Dame, Formula One racing heads to the streets of Valencia. But in the place of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve's high-speed, low-downforce layout, come the Spanish track's demanding twists and turns. There are 25 corners in total - the highest number of any currently-used circuit - all of which test the drivers to the maximum. They and senior team personnel look ahead to the forthcoming 2011 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe...
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2010 Qualifying - 3rd, 2010 Race - 2nd
"For me, Valencia will be a weekend of consolidation after two disappointing results in Monaco and Canada. Those two races were particularly frustrating for me because we showed we had the pace to win both of them, yet I only came away with eight points. Still, I'm really pleased that Jenson drove a brilliant race to win in Canada; after his bad luck in Monte-Carlo, he more than deserved this result. It's a great result for the team, too. I've always gone well at Valencia, finishing second there in every race, and I really enjoy attacking the track. It's a difficult circuit with no let-up, but that won't deter me as I'm really keen to get back on track and get back in the points. This race will be our third street circuit in a row, so hopefully it'll give me the chance to reverse the bad luck I've encountered in the previous two! We've arguably had the fastest race car in the last three races, and that's really encouraging because I know that, when it's put to best use, I should be able to finish at the front. As always, that will be my goal next weekend."
2010 Qualifying - 7th, 2010 Race - 3rd
"It's been a fantastic week in the aftermath of the Canadian Grand Prix. I had a few days' break immediately after the race, which was perfectly timed as it gave me the opportunity to take in all the positive memories of a crazy weekend, and to reflect on an incredible race. I wouldn't say that winning in Montreal has given me extra motivation, because I was already totally committed, but I think it will help to sharpen the focus and conviction of everyone in the team. We've proved we can challenge and beat Sebastian (Vettel), and we know we can fight for this world championship. I'm looking forward to Valencia. I had a good race there last year and I think the track shares some of the characteristics of Montreal and Monaco, so I'm confident that we'll be competitive again. The trick will be to find enough performance in the race to overcome any potential difficulties in qualifying. It's a hard place to pass and, even though there will once again be two DRS zones, I don't think that's going to make it much easier during the race."
"Jenson's fantastic last-to-first result in Canada last weekend proved beyond doubt that, as a team, we never give up. That victory was a great fillip for the entire organisation and shows that our tireless efforts to bring constant upgrades to the track are really paying off. As a team, it's particularly satisfying that our upgrade 'hit-rate' has been successful and that we've really been able to translate the results we've seen at the factory into concrete performance at the track. Again, that's the result of good teamwork, and is what will successfully carry us through this championship fight. We've typically gone well around the Valencia street circuit but we've never won there before. I think we go into the weekend feeling encouraged and motivated by our performance, but still realistic that Red Bull remains the pacesetter - particularly in qualifying. We're now into the heart of the season and need to ensure that we're regularly delivering performance to the car. We've shown time and time again that this is one of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' key strengths and I'm confident we can continue to deliver. For Valencia and beyond, our aim is clear: we want to win."
2010 Qualifying - 1st, 2010 Race - 1st
"The atmosphere around the harbour in Valencia is quite similar to Monaco, except that the paddock is bigger and the garages are larger. The circuit is a street circuit, but the average speed (200 km/h) is extremely high, so it's tricky. In general you need a lot of wing for the corners and less for the relatively long straights, which means you have to find a compromise. There are no run-off zones, so you can't make any mistakes - a small slide and you end up in the wall... Overtaking is difficult and the only real possibility is in Turn 12. We had a good race there last year and the car should be good. I'm looking forward to it."
Mark Webber, Red Bull
"Valencia hasn't been an incredible venue for me in the past but I'm looking to try and break the duck this year. I quite enjoy driving the last sector of the track, as it's got a really good combination of corners which are challenging. It's a circuit that's yet to provide a phenomenal F1 race, but we've seen some special ones this year, so hopefully this is an opportunity for Valencia to add its name to the list. There's no reason why the car shouldn't perform well there, but as we've seen in the past few races, we've certainly had our fair share of competition."
Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
2010 Qualifying - 18th, 2010 Race - 7th
"Last year we had a good race performance and strategy in Valencia. I enjoyed the race a lot, especially the last few laps when I had fresh tyres and the others didn't. After qualifying had been disappointing because I was only 18th, we were very happy when I finished seventh in the race. This year we have a better car overall, and we have proved we are still good in terms of our strategies. I'm quite confident for the European Grand Prix and want to make the most of it. You have four straights on which you need to be quick, but you also have slow corners and need to ride the kerbs in some places. This makes quite a challenging mixture, plus the track temperatures can be expected to be really high, which means you have to take special care of your tyres. The part around the bridge is the most tricky one, as you can gain or lose a lot of lap time there. In the past it hasn't been easy to overtake on this street circuit, but I think with DRS and KERS it will be an exciting race for the spectators and us. I also like the atmosphere there a lot, and Valencia is one of the more exciting places we go to. There is a lot going on in the city and you can find good food there."
Sergio Perez, Sauber
"I flew home from Montreal, and back in Mexico I spent the time preparing myself for the next race and trained together with our physiotherapist. I feel perfectly well and I'm very much looking forward to racing in Valencia. Without doubt it is an advantage that I know this track well. In 2009 I was on the podium after both GP2 races and last year I had pole position."
James Key, Sauber technical director
"Valencia is a smooth stop and start street circuit. It's not so bad for mechanical grip, as the surface is quite flat. The emphasis will mainly be on braking stability in low speed corners and traction. There will be an unknown in Valencia, because we will have a new Pirelli medium tyre compound which we ran in Canada. However, that was on a different track and most probably different track conditions with regard to temperature. This is a tyre which we'll have to understand and get working quite quickly on Friday in preparation for the rest of the weekend. We will have some modifications on the car, including a slightly changed front wing and some other parts. We hope our performance will be back on the level we had before Canada, where we felt we didn't perform as we wanted to in dry conditions. Also in the meantime we've been working hard on the balance of the car to try to ensure we can have a better level of performance in Valencia. We hope to have Sergio back in the car and look forward to working with him during the weekend."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
2010 Qualifying - 15th, 2010 Race - 15th
"After an encouraging weekend in Canada, it is nice being back in Europe again where we start the summer season. Valencia stages one of the more unusual races in the calendar with a street circuit which in my view is very attractive for both us drivers and the fans. I enjoyed the weekend here last year as the track is, surprisingly for a street track, quite fast and flowing, so I am looking forward to going there. Of course we hope that we can put on a good show, deliver a strong performance and experience another encouraging weekend, before we head to our home races in England and Germany."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
2010 Qualifying - 12th, 2010 Race - 10th
"Valencia is always a very interesting weekend. The track is a combination of a real circuit and a street circuit so the walls are very close to the cars, and you really have to concentrate around every one of the 25 corners. I really enjoy driving there, and it's a big event in a pretty cool city. I visited the factory this week to see everyone which was nice and it was good to see how the work is progressing. We're working hard for a better result in Valencia than in Canada, and I'm very confident that we can make this happen."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
"After the exciting and dramatic race in Canada last weekend, we return to Europe and head to the impressive Valencia Street Circuit for the next race. The lap around the marina in Valencia has many similarities to the track in Montreal with long straights and slow corners, whilst presenting an interesting challenge as it is quicker and much more open than a typical street circuit. Traction is important and the stop-start nature of some sectors can be tough on the brakes. The last race in Canada saw a positive weekend for the team, and whilst we still need to work on the ultimate pace of the car, it was encouraging and rewarding to be fighting for a podium finish again."
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The European Grand Prix is run around the America's Cup harbour in Valencia and, since it was first held in 2008, has established itself well on the calendar. Although this is a street race, the layout is very unusual for a street circuit and completely different to a track like Monaco, for example. The track surface is wide, even and very smooth. There is a large variety of corners, ranging from long and fast curves to short, sharp turns. Good traction and braking are important here, just like engine performance and aerodynamic efficiency. Our team will be aiming to build on our performance shown during the last race in Canada."
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