[1][2] The first Formula One race meeting on the circuit was held over the 23–24 August 2008 weekend,[3] with Felipe Massa winning the main event, the European Grand Prix, after starting from pole position.

[9] The deal was made between Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the Valmor Sport group, led by former motorcycle racer Jorge "Aspar" Martínez and Villarreal CF's president Fernando Roig.

The deal came about despite Ecclestone previously stating that no European country should hold more than one race each year, as there was already a Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Changes in Formula One in 2011, including the introduction of the Drag Reduction System and the switch to Pirelli tyres, partially improved that with 27 passes recorded in that year's race, 22 of which were accredited to the assistance of DRS.

Drivers exit the 137 km/h (85 mph) chicane by running very close to the wall, before sweeping through the kinks of turns 6 and 7, then braking heavily for the following swing bridge section.

Turn 25 is a hairpin, taken at about 97 km/h (60 mph); the run to the line following this left-hander is fairly short but requires good traction and acceleration for the best lap time.