Space age McLaren puts Hamilton streets ahead

The 12th round of the 18-race title chase takes place on a brand new circuit laid out around the streets of Valencia.

Naturally, no F1 driver has competed there, yet by the time the cars head out for the opening practice session McLaren's groundwork will have ensured that Hamilton will already know every bump, kerb and crash barrier.

The 23-year-old British driver, who heads the world championship by five points from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, said: "I've been working closely with my engineers to make sure we start the weekend with a good baseline, then we'll work hard to strengthen it."

Phil Prew, Hamilton's chief engineer, acknowledged his man's supreme talent on street circuits, with his speed and inch-perfect driving skill earning him victory in the Monaco Grand Prix in May.

"It really helps if a driver is confident," said Prew. "It defines the level of margin that they're prepared to accept. As he showed in Monaco, Lewis is prepared to leave a minuscule margin and he finds the performance as a consequence."

But Lewis has also arrived in Valencia already armed with vital information that will give him an edge over those with more limited resources.

Barney Hassell, McLaren's head of vehicle dynamics, said: "We started off by creating a track model for our computer simulation tools, using the outline plans of the Valencia circuit and checking them against satellite photos.

"Then we factored in the location, type of kerbs and other details we obtain from a full survey we've commissioned. We also worked in such aspects as the likely track temperature and used ground-level photos to provide detailed data.

"It's all about building up as detailed a profile as possible of the circuit. We've run computer simulations to work out likely lap times and to establish the racing line.

"We've checked the downforce level requirement, and from there can determine braking severity, cooling requirements and tyre operating conditions to make sure that our car development schedule is able to provide optimised components."

Heikki Kovalainen, Hamilton's team-mate and winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix three weeks ago, will also benefit from McLaren's pre-race planning. But he stressed that a street circuit like Valencia, where the cars will be racing between concrete walls at anticipated speeds of up to 191mph, still requires a cautious approach.

He said: "You can't start out at 100 per cent. The track has very poor grip on Friday, so you have to build up little by little and as your confidence increases you can start braking later.

"It's very exciting driving on the streets. You can hear the sound of the cars much more, it's like driving in a box. But there's no margin for error."