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F1: Alonso Excited by Valencia Circuit
Written by: Adam Cooper
RACER Magazine   http://www.racer.com/speedtv
08/08/2008 - 12:48 PM
Valencia, Spain
 
Valencia's unique new street circuit will host the European GP on August 24. (LAT Photo) ยป More Photos

Fernando Alonso says he’s excited by the prospect of his second home race in Valencia, although his only insight into the track has come from observing how the recent F3 meeting panned out.

In January last year Alonso attracted a huge crowd when he drove a McLaren on a very different street configuration at the launch of the new car.

“I saw some videos from the F3 race,” said the former World Champion when asked about the event by SPEEDtv.com. “The circuit seems very, very well prepared. There’s obviously some work to do before F1 arrives, but it’s not like a normal street track.

“It’s something more, it seems wide, it seems like an American type of street circuit. I think it will be a nice and interesting Grand Prix. Not only the race, but also the atmosphere
will be quite different. For sure I’m looking forward to the Grand Prix.”

Unlike McLaren, Renault does not have a sophisticated simulator at the factory in which Alonso can try the circuit, so he took the unusual step of asking a mate of his to film it for him.

“We don’t have any simulator with that kind of possibility. In my case it’s only the videos, some pictures. I had a friend at that race who did one lap with a normal road car, with a video camera in the front, just to know the circuit.

“For sure until you run with an F1 car there it’s not very useful, anything you do, because you will change completely your opinion and your feelings. We will need to maximize the Friday practice when we arrive there, because it will be the only way to improve.”
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