► Pirelli’s tyre selection for this weekend comprises medium and soft compounds.This will be the first time the medium compound has been used, while the soft replaces the supersoft

► The European Grand Prix was first part of the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1983, when the race was held at Brands Hatch, England. It was held there once again in 1985 and it has also been staged at Donington, England (1993) and Jerez, Spain (1994 and 1997). The most popular venue for the European GP is Germany’s Nürburgring circuit, which has hosted the race 12 times: 1984, 1995-6, then 1999-2007

► Notable European Grands Prix include: 1985 (Brands Hatch, England), Nigel Mansell’s first F1 win; 1993 (Donington Park, England), Ayrton Senna’s domination in torrential rain; 1996 (Nürburgring, Germany), Jacques Villeneuve’s first F1 win; 1997 (Jerez, Spain), Mika Hakkinen’s first F1 win and the controversial conclusion to that year’s drivers’ world championship – won by Jacques Villeneuve after a lap-48 collision with Michael Schumacher; 1999 (Nürburgring, Germany), the sole F1 victory for Stewart Grand Prix, with Johnny Herbert driving; 2007 (Nürburgring, Germany), Grand Prix debutant Markus Winkelhock, driving a Spyker, led the race in heavy rain before a re-start.

► Valencia Street Circuit is one of two F1 facilities associated with the city. The Circuit Ricardo Tormo is a permanent track used regularly during the off-season for Formula One testing, as well as being a host venue for the MotoGP championship.

► Jenson Button’s win at the Canadian GP two weeks ago was his tenth, in his 196th F1 start. His 2009 world drivers’ title came after 10 seasons and 171 races. Only 1992 champion Nigel Mansell took longer to claim a title: 180 grands prix.

► Valencia is Spain’s self-styled ‘Paella Capital’. Authentic paella originated around 200 years ago near lake Albufera, a freshwater lagoon south of Valencia where conditions were ideally suited to rice farming.

► The grass parkland that runs through the centre of Valencia, the Turia Gardens, is the bed of the former River Turia. Following a devastating flood in 1957, which damaged large areas of the city, the river was split to the west of Valencia and its main course diverted south through a man-made canal to the Mediterranean.

► Less than two kilometres from the Valencia Street Circuit is Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela’s City of Arts and Sciences – the Ciudad de las Artes y Las Ciencias.