Formula One - European Grand Prix Preview
From The Sports Network
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| DATE: Sunday, June 24th |
| SITE: Valencia Street Circuit (2008) -- Valencia, Spain |
| TRACK: 5.419 km (3.367 miles), 25-turn semi-permanent street course |
| CAPACITY: 112,000 |
| ANNUAL: 21st |
| TELEVISION: FOX (tape delay - noon ET) |
| START TIME: 8 a.m. (ET) |
| DEFENDING CHAMPION: Sebastian Vettel |
| RUNNER-UP: Fernando Alonso |
| POLE WINNER: Sebastian Vettel (Finished 1st) |
| LAPS: 57 |
| MILES: 191.931 (308.883 km) |
| QUALIFYING RECORD: Michael Schumacher, 2004 (1 minute, 28.351 seconds) |
| RACE RECORD: Michael Schumacher, 2001 (1 hour, 29 minutes, 42.724 seconds) |
| 2011 Finish |
| Finish | Driver | Start | Finish | Driver | Start |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | 1 | 6 | Jenson Button | 6 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | 4 | 7 | Nico Rosberg | 7 |
| 3 | Mark Webber | 2 | 8 | Jaime Alguersuari | 18 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | 3 | 9 | Adrian Sutil | 10 |
| 5 | Felipe Massa | 5 | 10 | Nick Heidfeld | 9 |
| 2011 European Grand Prix Facts and Figures |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 186.068 k.p.h. |
| TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 39 minutes, 36.169 seconds |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 10.891 seconds |
| CARS RUNNING AT FINISH: 24 |
| CARS ON FINAL LAP: 7 |
| FASTEST LAP: Sebastian Vettel, 1:41.852, Lap 53 |
| POLE WINNER: Sebastian Vettel (1:36.975) |
| Past European Grand Prix Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed |
| 2011 -- Sebastian Vettel (1st) -- Red Bull-Renault -- 184.420 kph/1:40:29.571 |
| 2010 -- Sebastian Vettel (1st) -- Red Bull-Renault -- 184.420 kph/1:40:29.571 |
| 2009 -- Rubens Barrichello (3rd) -- Brawn -- 193.344 k.p.h./1:35:51.289 |
| 2008 -- Felipe Massa (1st) -- Ferrari -- 193.983 k.p.h./1:35:32.339 |
| 2007 -- Fernando Alonso (2nd)-- McLaren-Mercedes -- 146.556 k.p.h./2:06:26.358 |
| 2006 -- Michael Schumacher (2nd) -- Ferrari -- 193.080 k.p.h./1:35.765 |
| 2005 -- Fernando Alonso (6th) -- Renault -- 198.555 k.p.h./1:31:46.648 |
| 2004 -- Michael Schumacher (1st) -- Ferrari -- 200.159 k.p.h./1:32:35.101 |
| 2003 -- Ralf Schumacher (3rd) -- Williams-BMW-- 195.633 k.p.h./1:34:43.622 |
| 2002 -- Rubens Barrichello (4th) -- Ferrari -- 194.741 k.p.h./1:35:07.426 |
| 2001 -- Michael Schumacher (1st) -- Ferrari -- 204.143 k.p.h./1:29:42.724 |
| 2000 -- Michael Schumacher (2nd) -- Ferrari -- 1:42:00.307 |
| 1999 -- Johnny Herbert (14th) -- Stewart-Ford -- 1:41:54.314 |
| 1998 -- Not Held |
| 1997 -- Mike Hakkinen (5th) -- McLaren-Mercedes - 1:38:57.771 |
| 1996 -- Jacques Villeneuve (2nd) -- Williams-Renault -- 1:33:26.473 |
| 1995 -- Michael Schumacher (3rd) -- Benetton-Renault -- 1:39:59.044 |
| 1994 -- Michael Schumacher (1st) -- Benetton-Ford-- 1:40:26.689 |
| 1993 -- Ayrton Senna (4th) -- McLaren-Ford -- 1:50:46.570 |
| 1992 -- Not Held |
| 1991 -- Not Held |
| 1990 -- Not Held |
| 1989 -- Not held |
| 1988 -- Not held |
| 1987 -- Not held |
| 1986 -- Not held |
| 1985 -- Nigel Mansell (3rd) -- Williams-Honda -- 1:32:58.109 |
| 1984 -- Alain Prost (2nd) -- McLaren-TAG -- 1:35:13.284 |
| 1983 -- Nelson Piquet (4th) -- Brabham-BMW -- 1:36:45.865 |
| NOTE: Race was 76 laps in 1983, 1993; 67 laps in 1984, 1995-96, 2000-01; |
| 75 laps in 1985, 69 laps in 1994, 66 laps in 1999. |
| Past European Grand Prix Pole Winners (Finish) |
| 2011 -- Sebastian Vettel -- 1st |
| 2010 -- Sebastian Vettel -- 1st |
| 2009 -- Lewis Hamilton -- 2nd |
| 2008 -- Felipe Massa -- 1st |
| 2007 -- Kimi Raikkonen -- 14th |
| 2006 -- Fernando Alonso -- 2nd |
| 2005 -- Nick Heidfeld -- 2nd |
| 2004 -- Michael Schumacher -- 1st |
| 2003 -- Kimi Raikkonen -- 20th |
| 2002 -- Juan Pablo Montoya -- 20th |
| 2001 -- Michael Schumacher -- 1st |
| 2000 -- David Coulthard -- 3rd |
| 1999 -- Heinz-Harald Frentzen -- 18th |
| 1998 -- Not Held |
| 1997 -- Jacques Villeneuve -- 3rd |
| 1996 -- Damon Hill -- 4th |
| 1995 -- David Coulthard -- 3rd |
| 1994 -- Michael Schumacher -- 1st |
| 1993 -- Alain Prost -- 3rd |
| 1992 -- Not Held |
| 1991 -- Not Held |
| 1990 -- Not Held |
| 1989 -- Not held |
| 1988 -- Not held |
| 1987 -- Not held |
| 1986 -- Not held |
| 1985 -- Ayrton Senna -- 2nd |
| 1984 -- Nelson Piquet -- 3rd |
| 1983 -- Elio de Angelis -- 25th |
| Last Race Results |
| RACE: Canadian Grand Prix (June 10th) |
| SITE: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve -- Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| LAPS: 70 |
| MILES: 189.694 (305.270 km) |
| WINNER: Lewis Hamilton |
| RUNNER-UP: Romain Grosjean |
| THIRD: Sergio Perez |
| FOURTH: Sebastian Vettel |
| FIFTH: Fernando Alonso |
| POLE WINNER: Sebastian Vettel (Finished 4th) |
| TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 32 minutes, 29.586 seconds |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.513 seconds |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 198.027 k.p.h. |
| European Grand Prix Entry List |
| Car | Driver, Hometown | Car/Name |
| 1 * | Sebastien Vettel (Heppenheim, Germ) | Renault/Red Bull |
| 2 | Mark Webber (Queanbeyan, Australia) | Renault/Red Bull |
| 3 | Jenson Button (Frome, England) | Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton (Stevenage, England) | Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, Spain) | Ferrari/Scuderia |
| 6 | Felipe Massa (Sao Paulo, Brazil) | Ferrari/Scuderia |
| 7 | Michael Schumacher (Germany) | Mercedes/AMG Petronas |
| 8 | Nico Rosberg (Wiesbaden, Germany) | Mercedes/AMG Petronas |
| 9 | Kimi Raikkonen (Espoo, Finland) | Renault/Lotus |
| 10 | Romain Grosjean (Geneva,Switzerland) | Renault/Lotus |
| 11 | Paul di Resta (Livingston, Scotland) | Mercedes/Force India |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg (Emmerich, Germany) | Mercedes/Force India |
| 14 | Kamui Kobayashi (Amagasaki, Japan) | Ferrari/Sauber |
| 15 | Sergio Perez (Guadalajara, Mexico) | Ferrari/Sauber |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo (Perth, Australia) | Ferrari/Scuderia Toro Rosso |
| 17 | Jean-Eric Vergne (Pontoise, France) | Ferrari/Scuderia Toro Rosso |
| 18 | Pastor Maldonado (Maracay,Venezuela) | Renault/Williams |
| 19 | Bruno Senna (Sao Paulo, Brazil) | Renault/Williams |
| 20 | Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) | Renault/Caterham |
| 21 | Vitaly Petrov (Vyborg, Russia) | Renault/Caterham |
| 22 | Pedro de la Rosa (Barcelona, Spain) | Cosworth/HRT |
| 23 | Narain Karthikeyan (Chennai, India) | Cosworth/HRT |
| 24 | Timo Glock (Lindenfels, Germany) | Cosworth/Marussia |
| 25 | Charles Pic (Montelimar, France) | Cosworth/Marussia |
| Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) |
| Driver | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Sebastian Vettel | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 6th | 20th | Won | Won |
| Fernando Alonso | 4th | 5th | Won | 2nd | Won | 20th | 6th | 8th | 2nd |
| Mark Webber | 6th | 7th | 20th | 20th | 3rd | 12th | 9th | 24th | 3rd |
| Lewis Hamilton | --- | --- | --- | --- | 9th | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 4th |
| Jenson Button | 7th | 3rd | 10th | 18th | 18th | 13th | 7th | 3rd | 6th |
| Nico Rosberg | --- | --- | --- | 7th | 20th | 8th | 5th | 10th | 7th |
| Sergio Perez | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 11th |
| Michael Schumacher | 5th | Won | 5th | Won | --- | --- | --- | 15th | 17th |
| Pastor Maldonado | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 18th |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 20th | 18th | 11th | 4th | 14th | 18th | 3rd | --- | --- |
| Romain Grosjean | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 15th | --- | --- |
| Mover of the Week |
| Sergio Perez - Started in the 15th position and finished 3rd |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Sebastian Vettel |
| Darkhorse - Sergio Perez |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Lewis Hamilton) - Finished 1st |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Sergio Perez) - Finished 3rd |
| NOTES: |
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Last year, Sebastian Vettel joined Michael Schumacher as the only
drivers to win the European Grand Prix in consecutive years. Schumacher won
this race in back-to-back years from 1994-95 and again from 2000-01.
Vettel put in a dominating performance in the 2011 European GP, leading all
but one of the 57 laps. The Red Bull driver cruised to a 10.8 seconds win over
Fernando Alonso. Currently third on the points list, Vettel has finished sixth
or better in the last five races. He won the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.
Vettel also dominated this race in 2010, as he led from start to finish. He
crossed the finish line five seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Vettel claimed
his second win of the season in Valencia, Spain.
Both of Vettel's wins in the European GP have come from the pole position. The
pole sitter has won this race three of the past four seasons and six times
overall.
This is the fifth consecutive season that the European GP will be held in
Valencia. Prior to Valencia, the race was held at the Nurburgring road course
in Germany for nine consecutive years. This event is expected to remain in
Valencia until 2014.
Rubens Barrichello won a F1 grand prix for the first time in five years after
he benefited from Hamilton's costly pit road mistake in the 2009 European GP.
Hamilton looked as though he was on the way to victory, but he was delayed
during his final pit stop when McLaren was not properly prepared for a tire
change. Barrichello captured the lead, and then held off Hamilton for the
remainder of the event to win for the first time since the 2004 Chinese Grand
Prix.
Starting on the pole in 2008, Felipe Massa raced to victory, as he defeated
Hamilton by 5.6 seconds for his ninth career F1 title. Massa, who now owns 11
checkered flags, has recorded just three top-10 finishes in seven starts this
year.
In 2007, Fernando Alonso took the checkered flag, as he cruised to a 8.1
seconds victory over Massa. Pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen failed to finish
the race due to hydraulics and placed 14th. The win, his 3rd of four 2007 wins
and 13th of his Formula One career, was held in Germany at the Nurburgring
Grand Prix Circuit. Alonso is a two-time winner of this race and now totals 28
career Formula One checkered flags.
Schumacher is a six-time winner of the European GP. Since coming out of
retirement in 2010, he has finished no better than 15th in this race.
The next Formula One race is the July 8 British Grand Prix in Silverstone,
England. Fernando Alonso is the defending race winner.
06/19 12:36:03 ET
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As of June 19, 2012, at 12:36 PM ET
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