Drivers praise Valencia track layout

After seeing the circuit for the first time on Thursday, the sport's leading stars were impressed with the work done on the Spanish port venue.

World championship leader Lewis Hamilton said: "I think they have done a fantastic job in building the place up. It has got a great hotel and the track looks incredible.

"I think it looks pretty awesome, so I am looking forward to getting out on it tomorrow."

Ferrari's Felipe Massa added: "I think it is pretty impressive, interesting. I think it is a pretty different track than we are used to having on the calendar.

"You can have maybe some corners which seem to be like Monaco but some very different corners, very long straights which even can be similar to Bahrain for example. I think it is very nice.

"It will be very, very dirty tomorrow because you can see that the asphalt is very, very slippery and dirty, but I think it will be ok. I think it will be nice."

Although F1's most famous street race in Monaco is high downforce, the configuration of the Valencia circuit is pointing towards this weekend's race being run with less wing.

Scuderia Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel said: "It looks like the last sector has some quicker and faster sections so we will see tomorrow. Right now we don't know what will be the best. Time is limited, we have to see how the circuit conditions will be after the practice, meaning how quickly the circuit will get a reasonable level of grip.

"It's very smooth, very wide, in some places you have lots of run off which is not usual for street circuits. There's still high speed and low speed, that's why I said it looks technical. For sure, it is not easy. And you have the walls, so there's not a lot of room for mistakes! Here and there there is run off, which will help."