Preview of 2010 European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain

It is time for the 2010 European Grand Prix. The rotating race is once again in Valencia, Spain this year. Let’s take a look at a preview of the race.

Valencia underwent some massive entertainment infrastructure spending a few years back as the America’s Cup sailing event came to town. It is long gone now, but the Formula 1 circus is still committed to the city…for now. Personally, I’ve found the race to be very boring. The circuit does not really lend itself to much passing, so we tend to get processional races. This makes qualifying well a must and that gives us a big hint regarding who is the favorite this year.


McLaren continues to come on as we hit tracks that are favorable to its car design. Valencia should be another one with few high speed turns the McLaren has so many problems with. I’ve picked McLaren the last few races to win, which wasn’t exactly going out on a limb given the tracks. I’m bucking the trend this week and going back to the early season dominant team.

Predicted Winner – Sebastien Vettel

Sebastian has had a terrible season when all things are considered. If he isn’t tangling with his teammate, his brakes are exploding or his engine is giving up. If the Red Bull was reliable, this championship would already be over. Of course, Newey designed cars are always a gamble, which is something you can be McLaren is snickering about in the pits. It is about time for some good luck. I’ll pick a recharged Vettel to take pole by a hair and the race by a comfortable margin.



Wildcards – Ferrari and Mercedes

Ferrari and Mercedes could be wildcards this weekend. Both are coming with major upgrades to their cars. I don’t see Mercedes making a big enough jump to get to the front of the field. The rumors on Ferrari, however, certainly raise the eyebrows. The new “Red Bull exhaust system” design is said to give the Scuderia another .7 of speed a lap. That is a huge jump and, frankly, pretty hard to believe. If it is true, then Ferrari will be right there particularly with a highly motivated Fernando Alonso racing in Spain.

I love Formula One, but this weekend is shaping up to be a snoozer. I certainly hope I am wrong. Well, at least the World Cup is to the knock out stages. England versus Germany on Sunday!

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