MARCH 27, 2007

Valencia votes for street track work

Valencia is keen to stay in the international spotlight when the America's Cup departs and the city government has just voted through the funding for a rebuild of the streets to open the way for an F1 track in 2009. The track will run around the harbour area and hopes to become a Spanish version of Monaco.

The local authority is making no secret of its desire to land a Grand Prix and has even issued a map for the planned circuit. This includes a loop around the America's Cup port area, known as the Barsena Interior, including a section over a bridge. To the west of this is an area of old railway land where the plans involve redevelopment, including the construction of pit buildings along the Calle del Poeta San Martin y Aguirre. The track would then run up to the roundabout where the Paseo de la Alameda meets the Calle de Menorca. There may be a further extension into the city but the track would then run back to the port area.

The whole 2.5-mile track would require considerable construction work but would help to link the port area with the old town, a major goal for the tourism authorities.

It is hard to imagine that anyone would invest this kind of money without knowing for certain that the city had a deal for an F1 race.