From GMM

According to Mercedes-Benz's Norbert Haug, more safety car periods than usual will be factored-in to preparations for Sunday's inaugural European grand prix at Valencia.

Not only are engineers and drivers unfamiliar with the new venue, the layout also boasts a higher than usual average top speed for a concrete barrier-lined street circuit.

Haug, the Mercedes-Benz racing chief in partnership with McLaren, says the team's drivers have been instructed to ease their way up to speed at Valencia this weekend.

"They need to keep the car on the track and collect as much data as possible," the German told Auto Motor und Sport.

Haug also revealed that team strategists need to factor the special circumstances of the new Valencia event into their plans for the race.

"Of course, we must think about the safety car for our tactics more than we usually do," he admitted.

Safety car periods at street circuits can also be generally longer than at more regular venues, given the difficulty in recovering stricken cars behind concrete walls.