Two Thirds
That Valencia's debut on the Formula One calendar was uneventful had something to do with another dominant performance by Felipe Massa, but as Richard Barnes points out, it was the last thing Kimi Raikkonen's title defence needed
"Part Monaco, part Montreal" was the pat description for the new street circuit at Valencia, host for Sunday's European Grand Prix. While the Hermann Tilke-designed track did provide two key ingredients for a popular and successful grand prix - an exotic location and a challenging layout where overtaking is possible - it was missing a vital third ingredient: close and exciting racing.
Monaco has its traditional glamour and Montreal has high drama via the likelihood of accidents and safety car periods disrupting even the most conservative strategies. Valencia promised the latter but, with all the drivers adopting a sensibly wary approach to the high-risk circuit, the race became a processional and low-key affair.
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