Official says Valencia’s F1 foray ended

Valencia, already absent from this year’s calendar and also not scheduled to host a race in 2014, has called time on its formula one foray.

Race chief Gonzalo Gobert is quoted by El Mundo Deportivo newspaper and the EFE news agency as admitting the city "will stop doing formula one".

There were suggestions Valencia could return, alternating a single annual race date with Barcelona, but "the Circuit de Catalunya refused", said Gobert.

"You cannot be a spouse if the other one doesn’t want to marry," he joked.

Gobert said negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone are now taking place, so that Valencia is not penalised for breaking its race contract.

He also said moving the race from the streets of the port city to the permanent Ricardo Tormo circuit was "not contemplated".