20/08/2008
NEWS STORY
David Price Racing moves to the newly constructed Valencia street circuit in Spain this weekend, for the next event in the 2008 GP2 Series. The team's drivers, Diego Nunes and Michael Herck, will be back in the cockpit feeling refreshed and ready for a return to racing action in Valencia following a three week summer break after the Hungaroring, Hungary, race weekend.
The Valencia Street Circuit is the first all-new venue on the 2008 calendar. A purpose- built street circuit which winds through the beautiful and historic city, around the Juan Carlos I Marina, this Spanish addition to the European season is expected to draw huge crowds. Unlike traditional street circuits Valencia is fast, sweeping and wide, offering potential for close racing and plenty of overtaking. The unique and demanding 25-corner track is nearly five and a half kilometres long and at least 14 metres wide. With medium to low-downforce characteristics, the track has several quick corners, and with its proximity to the harbour the wind blowing off the sea could be an important factor this weekend.
The previous GP2 round in Hungary lacked the results that drivers Nunes and Herck had hoped to achieve. As the DPR team moves to Valencia for the Grand Prix of Europe they will be hoping that they can push forward and register more points as the season rapidly draws to a close, with only two more events after Valencia, until the conclusion of the 2008 championship.
Team Principal, David Price, commented ahead of the weekend, "The Valencia track will present a very different challenge to the tracks we ran on. Even though it is a street circuit there are few similarities to the Monaco track, and it is unlike any other venue. Introducing new types of tracks is a good leveler, as everyone is in the same situation, needing to quickly understand the best set up for the car to fit the track conditions and characteristics.
"During this season Diego and Michael have already learned several new circuits, so for these guys it is just another new one. Although most of the other drivers will be new to it, there are a handful of GP2 drivers who drove in the F3 and GT races held here last month, and I think we will see a slight advantage towards those drivers at the start of the weekend, but hopefully we'll all catch up pretty quickly. The engineers and drivers will have to work hard during the track walks and practice sessions to learn the layout and be up to speed ahead of the races."