http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/h ... t/formula_one/6642777.stm

I think it's good news, street races often make for interesting racing and fewer new tracks made by a certain Mr Tilke is always a good thing.

Valencia? I thought they were talking about Venice. But still, it's nice to have a 2nd road course instead of these stupid Tilke circuits.

WOW yes at last, another street race other than Moncao, and what a wonderful looking layout

It's good that it's a street circuit BUT why does Spain need 2 GPs when Germany has lost its second, so has Italy.

I'm all for it, I just hope they get rid of that Catalunya circuit. When the Alonsomaniacs disappear, there will be no need for TWO Spanish GPs.

EDIT : Hang on, doesn't Hockenheim own the rights to the German GP name? This year the round at Nurburgring will be called the European GP. So someone will need to change their mind or we might have an Andorran GP on our hands

Well, a street track and it's city atmosphere is always way more glamorous than some 30 meters wide track (not to mention the 500 meters wide pavemented safety zones) on a desert in the middle of nowhere. But motorsport-wise it doesn't sound very attractive. No matter what kind of layout a street track has, I'm pretty sure that overtaking will be quite impossible in today's F1 cars. At least Tilke tries to make it possible, even though it's still hard.

when you got mansell, there's two GP in britain.
when you got Schumacher, there's two in Germany.
When you got alonso, obvious there's two in spain.

Valencia is a amazing city as well.

Quote from JJ72 :

when you got mansell, there's two GP in britain.
when you got Schumacher, there's two in Germany.
When you got alonso, obvious there's two in spain.

So, Lewis Hamilton will give reason to add Donington to the schedule

Quote from duke_toaster :

It's good that it's a street circuit BUT why does Spain need 2 GPs when Germany has lost its second, so has Italy.

GPs cost too much money. Please move F1 far away from any circuit I know and rather spend the money on proper races.
I'd much rather see more Nordschleife-races than even more money thrown out of the window just to accomodate those FIA-lunatics. Each GP is lost money. And for what?

Vain

More street circuits They have another one planned too, we could end up with 4 (if you count the Australian GP)

I think the only way spain was going to get a 2nd race was to make it a street circuit, that way it offers something for the fans rather than one of the 2 very boring German GP's and 2 boring Italian ones (both the decent tracks ruined by chicanes)

Street circuits are always a welcome addition! Looking forward to this weekend's GP (finally after a month).

Quote from Vain :

GPs cost too much money. Please move F1 far away from any circuit I know and rather spend the money on proper races.
I'd much rather see more Nordschleife-races than even more money thrown out of the window just to accomodate those FIA-lunatics. Each GP is lost money. And for what?

Vain

Do you have exact numbers how much money is lost? If running this monkey F1 circus isn't profitable I wonder why they still keep doing it... I'd think money-wise "F1 status" gives more for the track than it takes.

BTW, was that F1 GP night race idea already forgotten?

Wow hmmm, interesting looking layout, me likes

Interesting what new circuits are being built now too. This is another F1 Circuit that will come soon in 2009: Abu Dhabi

It is ALSO a harborside circuit... hmm. Bernie must be running a seaside drug cartel or something

Quote from deggis :

Do you have exact numbers how much money is lost? If running this monkey F1 circus isn't profitable I wonder why they still keep doing it... I'd think money-wise "F1 status" gives more for the track than it takes.

BTW, was that F1 GP night race idea already forgotten?

They lost big time.

it's a very expensive but worthwhile advertising though.

Illegal street F1 race! OMG, COOL!

But why not race on Riccardo Tormo circuit?

Quote from spookthehamster :

and fewer new tracks made by a certain Mr Tilke is always a good thing.

Hate to break it to you but our old firend Mr. Tilke is back for this one as well

"The circuit will be designed by German Hermann Tilke, architect of the sport's most modern tracks." (from Autosport.com, http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/58679)

Still looks like a good track though... now all we have to do is rip all of the areodynamica off of the cars.

I made an overlay of the trackmap yesterday using the picture from Google Earth, but it's not entirely up to date (the track goes through buildings, the bridge section is missing, the canal isn't where it should be, etc.).

Quote from duke_toaster :

I...When the Alonsomaniacs disappear, there will be no need for TWO Spanish GPs....

:bowdown::bowdown: 100% TRUE.

The majority of F1 fans in Spain are only since Alonso arrived to F1. They have no idea about F1 and mass media have cleaned their brains for win money whith their ignorance.
The TV channel that shows F1 in Spain is a channel that NEVER in his history have showed any sport before, soy they saw a BIG bussiness with Alonso and they are making good use of ignorant people for win money.
When Alonso stops winning not only will not be needed to have 2 GPs in Spain, I am sure there will not be any TV channel that shows F1 in Spain too.
It´s pitiful.

That's a cool track overlay, though the layout presents some obvious technical diffuculties. With the track going over a bridge there doesnt seem to be alot that the marshalls could do to clear a car that crashes at that point which could lead to some long safety car periods. other than that the track looks good

Quote from NitroNitrous :

:bowdown::bowdown: 100% TRUE.

The majority of F1 fans in Spain are only since Alonso arrived to F1. They have no idea about F1 and mass media have cleaned their brains for win money whith their ignorance.
The TV channel that shows F1 in Spain is a channel that NEVER in his history have showed any sport before, soy they saw a BIG bussiness with Alonso and they are making good use of ignorant people for win money.
When Alonso stops winning not only will not be needed to have 2 GPs in Spain, I am sure there will not be any TV channel that shows F1 in Spain too.
It´s pitiful.

that's out it works around the globe. British GP attendant reached new heights with Jenson Button's success as well, so increased popularity of a sport because of a home hero is nothing special....and why new racing fans are "ignorant people"? It's good for the channel owner and good for viewers as well, simple supply and demand theory, what is so sinister about that.

if you argue "oh once alonso is no more spain will forget about F1", well then at least they now have a opportunity to know the sport, from "ignorant" to half knowledgeable. People who really appreciate F1 will stay watching...and what's wrong with popularity with F1? You think it's better to simply ignore what Alonso is doing? "we got our first F1 champ! big deal, lets show some moto GP and bull fighting"

Quote from RockBottomWalsh :

That's a cool track overlay, though the layout presents some obvious technical diffuculties. With the track going over a bridge there doesnt seem to be alot that the marshalls could do to clear a car that crashes at that point which could lead to some long safety car periods. other than that the track looks good

The harbour front looks pretty different from that these dayts, they re-built the whole lot for the americas cup boat race this year.

Quote from JJ72 :

that's out it works around the globe. British GP attendant reached new heights with Jenson Button's success as well, so increased popularity of a sport because of a home hero is nothing special....and why new racing fans are "ignorant people"? It's good for the channel owner and good for viewers as well, simple supply and demand theory, what is so sinister about that.

if you argue "oh once alonso is no more spain will forget about F1", well then at least they now have a opportunity to know the sport, from "ignorant" to half knowledgeable. People who really appreciate F1 will stay watching...and what's wrong with popularity with F1? You think it's better to simply ignore what Alonso is doing? "we got our first F1 champ! big deal, lets show some moto GP and bull fighting"

I don´t know if it happens in other parts of the world, but you have to see and above all you have to HEAR a GP in the Spanish TV to notice what I am talking about. It is a exagerated brain clean, it´s horrible.

Of course there are a lot of people who loves F1, that have been seeing F1 a lot of years before and will see in the future. This people aren´t usually Alonsomaniacs

I don't understand what they are saying on spainish/brazilian channel, but they all sound pretty stoned. I think it's just how they commentate.

On the original topic I think it would probably be a better solution to alternate between this track and Barcelona (or scrap Barcelona entirely if this is popular or this track makes for good racing), rather than have both in the calendar.

To the point of the increase in popularity in F1 with Alonso and (now in the UK) Hamilton, I think it's a bad thing for long-term F1 fans. Since there are many new fans who know next to nothing about the sport and its history the commentary, pre- and post-race shows are getting incredibly dumbed-down and repetitive to try to educate the new audience. If you look at the ITV pre-race shows from 3 or 4 years ago and compare them to now there's a huge difference. I can understand that a sport should be accessible to as many people as possible, but for long-term fans like myself it's becoming unbearable. I used to watch the pre-race show for interesting technical pieces and to find out about any troubles in the Sunday morning warm-up. Now, however, most of the time is spent recapping the qualifying session and asking people the same stupid, pointless questions over and over again. An idea I had recently was to have the current type of broadcast (i.e. dumbed down for new fans) on ITV with Steve Ryder doing the hosting and James Allen commentating with Ted Kravitz in the pits. Then, on ITV4 (or one of the other secondary ITV channels) having a more insightful, serious program for 'proper' fans. Mark Blundell hosting, doing proper interviews with people asking something other than the normal questions. Martin Brundle (Jonathan Palmer would make an excellent co-commentator but that's never going to happen with his other business commitments) and potentially Mark Blundell commentating and Tony Jardine in the pits. Of course, I don't actually believe this is going to happen, but it's good to dream

It really depends on channel and what kind of people they get behind, ITV done a good job, since many of the formula 1 teams are base in UK and there's a long term interest in the sport, there's history in how to broadcast.

But you know, say in China it's not a matter of things dumbed down for the audience, it's just that no body really knows a lot about it at the first place. When people don't do their research, they tend to repeat the obvious...

dunno about the rest of the globe though.

Quote from NitroNitrous :

When Alonso stops winning not only will not be needed to have 2 GPs in Spain, I am sure there will not be any TV channel that shows F1 in Spain too.
It´s pitiful.

WTF? F1 has been on TV here for ages before Alonso started to race!

And it will be on TV when he retires.