Honda Racing F1 has used data from many different sources to help with its preparations for the European Grand Prix. The first ever race meeting at Valencia took place during the last weekend of July, from which the team’s engineers have obtained the telemetry from a Formula 3 car and compared it to F3 data at the Circuit de Catalunya - home of the Spanish Grand Prix - to provide a reference for the set-up of the RA108.

This data has been used in conjunction with track simulations to ascertain gear ratios and downforce levels, and early indications are that the technical demands on the cars will be similar to Hockenheim.

The teams young driver, Mike Conway, also competed in a GT race that weekend as part of his preparations for the GP2 Series race, providing a valuable insight on the unique Spanish venue.

Putting all this together, along with data created at Brackley and Tochigi, the team have worked on their simulator for the drivers, as well as for the engine dyno simulations based on gear rations, revs and gear changes. This has allowed the team to find the presumed optimum engine response, something particularly important for a new circuit.

There will of course be some unanswered technical questions when the cars arrive in Valencia, such as the amount of grip generated by the recently laid asphalt. These will only be answered when the track action begins on Friday morning, laying great emphasis on the drivers’ feedback to fine tune the balance of the cars.

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