Valencia scandal good for Barcelona GP - report

A Spanish newspaper has interpreted the demise of Valencia president Francisco Camps as good news for Barcelona’s Spanish grand prix.

It was reported recently that Spanish port city Valencia wanted to be the country’s only F1 event by paying Bernie Ecclestone EUR 20 million per year and taking the Circuit de Catalunya’s May date on the annual calendar.

But since then, a corruption scandal returned to the Spanish headlines and on Wednesday Camps resigned amid accusations he took a bribe.

He reportedly told a news conference that the decision was "for the sake of Valencia, Spain and the PP (Partido Popular)".

The Spanish newspaper Diario Sport reacted: "Now, with Camps outside of the political arena, his successor may not want to play Ecclestone’s game with a fortune to unseat the Circuit de Catalunya."

Circuit de Catalunya boss Salvador Servia recently played down rumours Barcelona could lose its place on the F1 schedule.

"It was the Valencian press who started the rumours," he told EFE news agency, "because neither the government or the organisers at Valencia ever said a peep."