Video lap of the Valencia F1 street circuit

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The new Valencia F1 street track was used for the first time for a race meeting last weekend. Here’s a video showing a lap of the new Circuito Urbano Valencia onboard a GT car:

The lap begins with the tight left before the start/finish straight. See below for more videos of the track and a map of the circuit

Circuit Urbano Valencia track map

More Valencia street circuit videos

The videos confirm an impression of a generally quick street course with decent amounts of run-off for such a confined space.

The long straight into the tight right/left/right bend looks like being the most likely spot for overtaking. It looks quite narrow in places though.

You can see an earlier 3D rendered lap of the track here.

More information on the 2008 European Grand Prix

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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41 comments on “Video lap of the Valencia F1 street circuit”

  1. … and walls walls and some more walls :-)

  2. Thanks for the videos! I’m so excited now. Anyone else going to this race? :-D

    Also Keith, have you seen the simulation of the onboard lap of Singapore it looks amazing :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYsU1WT07Po

  3. Thanks Tommy! Here’s another look at Singapore using Google Earth: Video: 3D lap of the Singapore Grand Prix track

  4. Cool thanks I saw the google earth one on here a while ago but I think the simulation lap is better.

    The grandstand they go under is cool. I had that idea for my graphics project when I at school about 3 years ago. Maybe I should of got copyright on it!!! :P

  5. I don’t like it. Too much of the walls, not enough greenery and surroundings.

  6. seems to me that what is probably turn three, the tighter right, has a 90 deg concrete point aiming straight at the driver who drops it there.. ouch
    Apart from that looks like fun – like much of the US ‘street’ racing circuits there is little room for error and could be a few costly mistakes all weekend..

  7. Pedro Andrade
    30th July 2008, 10:58

    We’ll see how it goes racing-wise, but it seems to lack any character. As others said, walls, walls, walls, walls… Monaco is something apart.

  8. Same here – not even Monaco or Albert Park has this much catch fencing.Still a fairly nice track though.

  9. There are a few very fast blind corners which look a bit too dangerous to me. A slowing or stationary car in one of those could make for some big impacts.

    It looks a good circuit to drive but not to look at. The walls need painting different colours in different places to let the TV spectator understand where the cars are else it will be confusing.

    The bridge section doesn’t look as interesting or challenging as I thought it would. Overall I think it is going to be a tough for the drivers and entertaining for us!

  10. I like it. Although narrow in places, it looks quite fast and it seems to have the right amount of run-off where it counts.

    I don’t agree with the walls-walls-walls comments. If you look at it that way, Monaco is armco-armco-armco. Although better layed-out because of altitude, Monaco is mostly special because of its history.

  11. Pedro Andrade
    30th July 2008, 12:10

    Lustigson: Yes, Monaco is armco all the way around, but it does have a character that this track seems to lack, and it’s not just down to history. It’s probably the buildings, the trees, the marina, the tunnel…

  12. @ Pedro Andrade
    You’re right about that. Apart from a few tall buildings far away in the background, there isn’t much to see from the onboard shots. I reckon Singapore will be better on that account.

  13. But even at Monaco from an onboard shot you can’t see the harbour or much of the scenery. The external shots of Valencia may look much better, especially the marina section.

  14. thanks Keith,
    walls and armco and narrow, with tight unforgiving corners. At first watch, it reminded me of the Detroit street circuit in terms of layout. There is some run-off, but when the F1 circus hits the tarmac, it’s going to be tough and nerve-racking for the drivers. And what if it rains…

  15. Pedro Andrade
    30th July 2008, 12:41

    True on that Keith. A shame there isn’t any official footage from those races, at least it doesn’t seem to be on YouTube. There are amateur cameras though, and it does look better, at least in some areas of the track.

  16. I agree. I don’t see any any “urban areas” in the onboard shots. Looks like it’s a typical race track with narrow racing lanes and close walls.

  17. I like that circuit. Though not as good as Monaco (may be due to the history), but surely drivers gonna get a game!
    And another query,though irrelevant to the current post, Keith, any update on Prodrive entry? Or any other team interested in making the grid dense?

  18. Nirupam – Dead and buried I’m afraid: No F1 for Prodrive in 2008, The FIA owe Prodrive an apology.

  19. I agree, onboard you can’t really tell about the scenary till you see TV camera view. Then you’ll get to see the harbour and other features

  20. Keith
    Nothing for 2009/10 as well till now?

  21. Scott Joslin
    30th July 2008, 16:11

    I agree with the comparison to Detroit, those curved parts that lead on to the straights will be interesting to see if they create over taking or restrict it.

    From first glance it looks like a track that will favour Mclaren and Alonso because of the bumps and aggression required.

    I can foresee a lot of drivers making friends with the concrete wall at this track!

    I think when we see the track from the outside it will give it more character when we can see the harbor.

  22. “I think when we see the track from the outside it will give it more character when we can see the harbor”

    And when 200,000 people are there! :D

  23. It’s interesting to see a track from a driver’s view first instead of from helicopters or other high angle shots. It will look completely different on TV.

    Personally I think F1 should be run at Spa, Suzuka, Zandvoort, Oesterreichring and the like not in a glorified go-kart track in a city centre just to suit the glitterati who will have a great weekend apart from the racket from those damn cars.

  24. I guess everybody just wants to know if the track allows for a decent race that will include chances for overtaking? Other than that I’m not sure if it matters where it is, does it? Valencia is a great place though.

  25. Here you have some external shots of the races in the Valencia track.

    http://media.esperia.com/formula3od/race1.wmv

    http://media.esperia.com/formula3od/race2.wmv

    I have to say that I’m a little bit dissapointed with the track. The onboard footage are pretty ugly, and even being a good track to race, looks very unpersonal on this videos.

    I don’t think an F1 race there could be funny. It looks to me easy defends position, and very difficult overtake if your rivla doesn’t make any mistake.

  26. i’m going and have tickets for T18 which looks a pretty good place to see some over taking .
    especially if you get the exit after the bridge wrong.

  27. Alonso follower
    30th July 2008, 23:36

    No wonder what F1 is called a “circus” I’m no professional but this one looks miles behind a dedicated circuit in terms of safety. There are other race tracks in Spain (Jerez?) that maybe could host an event of this magnitude. However, Valencia probably had the money in the pocket to bring the “circus” part in…

  28. Nothing like the sound of a V10 on an F1 track…. oh wait its a Viper.

  29. way off, nevermind

  30. Looking at the video I can see the first few corners being very important. Qualifying will be very important. There was alot of rubbing going on at the GT event at the first couple of corners.

    So I ask how many will crash(be taken out) in the first lap? 5 cars.

  31. Hi,

    Anybody here plays F1 Challenge? If yes, does anybody know whether there is a track ready for the Valencia and Singapore race? You can email me at alvin@aigroupholdings.com.

    Regards

  32. It looks dangerous, I wonder how much Valencia paid to get it, and what the pilot association think about the new street circuits.

  33. Yeah, the circuit looks a bit wall-e

  34. (Off topic – I saw Wall-E last night! Really good film.)

    To be honest I was a bit worried there weren’t going to be enough walls at Valencia. Without walls it’s not really a street circuit. The point of street tracks is if you make a mistake it’s basically game over and F1’s really been missing that.

    For example, have a look at this awesome lap with Juan Pablo Montoya qualifying at Detroit in CART in 1999:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05vLC_zjPpY

    He gets so close to the walls in places, even kicking up dust as he nudges one of them. Thrilling stuff. More of that in F1 please!

  35. Not impressed, I must say. Reminds me of the old US street races at Detroit and Phoenix, and they were hardly great venues.

    Still, it’s no worse than a race at the *other* circuit in Valencia would be

  36. Check out the contact the competitors make with each other in race 2.

    I like the wide runoff zones. I hope the Indy street venues from the design and tries to create them in some of the street venues, where possible. As much as it may seem daring to know that a car will end its race against a concrete barrier if the car accidentally goes wide, I’d much rather see some punishing run-off area to ruin the driver’s day without bringing on the full-course caution and the safety car. It will also ensure fearless speeding.

    It’s good that the curves are re-curbed into kink+hairpin complexes, but after the fifth one it gets as old as leaving the right-angles in would have gotten.

    Let’s not kid ourselves, however- tall concrete barriers are the only view to be had by this sort of race, so the only hopes lie in the cars and racers themselves to make the venue a winner. I see some potential. If it works out well, I hope they’ll look at Monaco footage to consider installing Armco for these new street courses. Why Armco? Monaco is visible and gorgeous from all corners and all cars precisely because there aren’t those tall concrete barriers and fences ruining the view of a beautiful city. It requires investment and a certain amount of financial bravery to duplicate such an event.

  37. MarathonMan801
    2nd August 2008, 11:21

    The comparison to Monaco isn’t exact as Monaco has something very valuable that Valencia does not.
    Gradient.
    Change of view line, alteration of camber through gradient, unexpected apexes becuase of gradient. Monaco has them but Valencia won’t.
    The dive downhill from the Casino Square or down to the Portier (spelling) really makes Monaco special. Val is flat, as in flat.
    Really hope it’s not a Phoenix-esque bore.

  38. For me it looks very boring and nothing but concrete. Sceneries,hmmmm….what sceneries?? But for sure it will be different when it´s not seen from onboard cam. Safety areas looks also very small.
    Hoping I´m wrong but I think there will be very dangerous moments on that track. Also crashes are maybe easier to come because it looks that there is more places to try passing comparing to Monaco.
    Let see how it works….

  39. I’m Happy it’s Not at all Monaco, because Monaco will stay far above any other street circuit (except for the Macau which is Great too).

    AMAZINGLY There will be ANOTHER test for Monaco this Same year with Singapore – Amazing we have 2 NEW Street Circuits in 1 year after none for such a long time.

    Musically –

    Cor Pez

  40. I like the track itself it should be very challenging for the drivers and with the championship that close maybe they’ll try harder to overtake. for the track it look likes its build in an industrial park. add more color from the sponsers and a few 100thousand screaming fan and it should live it up a little. we’ll see….

  41. I agree with marathonman, it would look better with armco instead of concrete. The circuit looks okay, although newly laid tarmac which is not used by ordinary traffic and run-off areas sort of defeats the object of a street circuit. Dissapointed but excited, I hope Singapore will be better.

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