Could we see a youth movement in Spain this weekend?
It's possible, as Valencia is a newer track on the schedule, and therefore no driver has considerably more experience here than any other. Combine that with the fact that many of the rookies in F1 have competed and won here in GP2.
Vitaly Petrov is one driver to watch. He has won here twice in GP2 (once thanks to fuel mileage) and is comfortable at this track. Virgin pilot Lucas di Grassi won here in 2008, while Nico Hulkenberg was victorious on the Spanish streets last year along with Petrov. Collectively, this race is the best chance that the rookies have at earning considerable points.
The streets of Valencia are the fifth locale to host the European Grand Prix along with Brands Hatch, the Nurburgring (newer short course), Jerez and an appearance at Donington Park in 1993.
Despite its critics and lack of attendance last year, Valencia has a contract to host the race until 2014, so we will unlikely to have a new European Grand Prix venue anytime soon. And despite 25 turns, the course has not played out as a particularly hard track on equipment; there have been only five combined retirements in two races here.
It is actually tougher on the drivers, as the forecast calls for highs this weekend of around 80 degrees.
Most turns, F1 circuits on current schedule
Valencia -- 25
Bahrain -- 23
Singapore -- 23
Elsewhere, McLaren's strong start to the summer has been impressive, and it has created a tight battle atop the standings.
But it's far too early to jump ship; as with many things in life, drivers and teams are rarely as good or bad as a recent hot or cold streak. That should not discount what McLaren teammates Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have done recently, but their success in no way spells doom for Red Bull or even Ferrari at this point.
It's remarkable that Red Bull has come so far, so fast. Only a handful of seasons ago, few would have believed that this team would be competing for a title now. Even fewer would have guessed that the team would enter the season as title favorites in the eyes of many.
The Austria-based beverage company purchased its current team from Jaguar in late 2004 for the price of $1 -- along with significant future investment agreements. Jaguar was a squad that was in relative shambles at the time; in five seasons running Cosworth engines, the British marque burned through eight different drivers, totaling no wins and two podium finishes.
Under the direction of team principal Christian Horner, Red Bull quickly improved upon its predecessor, amassing more points in the first two races of 2005 than Jaguar totaled in the entire 2004 season.
The team ditched the Cosworth motor in 2006, opting for Ferrari power for a season before its current power plant (Renault) was implemented in 2007. The addition of technical director Adrian Newey was instrumental, as was the benefit of a sister team in Toro Rosso.
The promotion of Sebastian Vettel from Toro Rosso after the 2008 season created a compelling driver lineup, as the young Vettel was paired with the experienced Mark Webber. Over the past two seasons, it's all started coming together.
Red Bull F1 history
| Seasons | 2005-08 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Races | 71 | 17 | 8 |
| Poles | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Pct. earning points | 49.3 | 88.2 | 100.0 |
| Win pct. | 0.0 | 35.3 | 37.5 |
Valencia will likely suit McLaren more than Red Bull, however, as Button explained to reporters last week.
"Even though it's a street circuit, it's got quite a different feel to other street tracks like Monte Carlo or Singapore," he said. "For a start, it's quite a bit faster. There are some low-speed corners with some fairly unforgiving walls at the apex, but there are also some high-speed changes of direction and some long straights, so it's quite an interesting place set-up-wise.
"It's not as if you completely rely on downforce, there's a trade-off, and that should suit our package."
It's one of just three tracks on the current schedule in which McLaren is without a win; the team has finished second here both years. If conditions are hospitable, look for this team to easily break the fastest race lap set by Timo Glock last year (1:38.683) and perhaps go on to victory.
