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Before the GP of Europe, exclusive from Petr Minarik

There is no doubt that the first third of the F1 Championship was a shock: seven races saw seven different winners. So the question whether such a trend can continue is an issue also for the next event - European GP. Especially when one can not totally dismiss such an idea. Why, in the queue of runners up for the victory there are Grosjean or Raikkonen, as well as Schumacher...

The GP of Europe which should decide this rare situation and which is the eighth race of the Championship, would be held as an independent event already for the twenty-second time. There is a chance though that it would be for the last time. The reason is that Spain should hold only one F1 race for the future and the circuit around the Valencia port would share it with the Motmelo circuit close to Barcelona. This decision is hardly a surprise as the problem of two races held in one country - which has always been considered unacceptable - has been with the GP of Europe since its very beginning in 1983.

In that time one of the GP races was planned for New York. In Flushing Meadows where the tennis US Open is held. However, three months prior to its start the organizers called it off and F1 was desperately looking for a substitute. Brands Hatch, a circuit not far from London, wanted to help. But as the British GP had been already held in Silverstone, Brands Hatch even got the status of the GP of Europe in the end. Later it was exchanged for the Hungarian GP, but seven years later FIA pulled the trick again. When the Japanese Tomonori Tsuramaki had a 4574 m long circuit built near Kamitsue, where he wanted to have the GP of Asia which was planned instead of the GP of Mexico. Although it never happened but the result was another gap in the F1 calendar, and the GP of Europe saw the daylight again. And - except for 1988 - it has, surprisingly, remained till today. Of course, mostly it was thanks to the newly built Nurburgring, where it moved, after the German GP was taken to Hockenheimring, and which was suddenly without a GP. That was also the reason why there has been so far the biggest number of GPs under the Nurburg castle - a whole dozen. Of course it was also thanks to Michael Schumacher who always could attract enough visitors. The other European GPs then took place in Jerez and Brands Hatch (2), Donington park (1) and of course in Valencia (4).

This 5419 m Spanish circuit with 25 corners (14 right ones), including one bridge and whose design was supervised by Herman Tilke saw the first race in 2008. And the very first race , won by Felipe Massa, made it clear, that though safe, the circuit is very boring. So there were only four overtaking manoeuvres in all race. One year later, when Rubens Barrichello won, there was none!

This year's race has 57 laps (308.883 km) and the drivers can drive at full gas 60 per cent of the time while changing gears 73 times on average. The cars reach the top speed before the corners number 12 (317 kph) and 8 (300 kph), whereas the slowest parts are the corner number 12 and 17, that are taken at 76 kph in the second gear. However, the cars pull the highest g in number 6 (2.2 g). And what does the statistics say about the GP of Europe?

Considering all 21 'European' races than, of course Michael Schumacher is the king with his Ferrari, as the sevenfold World Champion won the GP of Europe six times. But if we focus only on the Valencia races, where the fastest lap is Vettel's last year's one (average 201.169 kph), everything is different.

There you will notice that the 24-year-old German, who was the first one to test the expected American GP circuit in New Jersey at least in a normal car, accounts for much more: the most victories and pole positions (2), the most leading laps (113), as well as the most scored points. He has scored already 53 of them under the local sunny skies, whereas Hamilton 46 and Alonso with Button 25. Even if it has been Hamilton to enjoy the biggest number of podium standings in Valencia who came second three times.

From the cars, McLaren scored the most points (79), before Red Bull (65) and Ferrari (48), from the engines Mercedes (108), before Renault (79) and Ferrari (63). While the French engines also hold the most pole positions (2). Nobody dares to guess the outcome of this year's race. If for no other reason than because the teams will have a hard time finding the relation between the Pirelli tires and their chasis. The only certainty seems to be the fact that neither HRT nor Marussia, and probably Caterham will not reach for points. Just like they have not in the GP of Europe so far...