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2005 TURKISH F1 GRAND PRIX

2005 F1 GP:

R14 of 19, 2005 Turkish GP, August 21, Istanbul

CIRCUIT: Istanbul Otodrom

• located in Istanbul, Turkey
• new 5.3 km (3.318 mile) track
• designed by Herman Tilke
  (who also designed new GP tracks in Malaysia, Bahrain and China)
• anticlockwise, 13 turns, 4 straights
• BEFORE RACE:
• ALONSO: "Istanbul will be a demanding circuit for the tyres, as we expect some of the highest track temperatures of the season"
• TRULLI: "I've never been to Turkey, so I'm looking forward to seeing the country. The one thing I do know is that it will be hot!"
• WEBBER: "I visited the circuit at the start of 2004 and, although they had only just started excavating the site, it looked like it was going to have some good characteristics and have the potential for a great Formula One track. Looking at the data now, the circuit appears to have a lot of slow corners, interspersed with long straights. Whether this will provide overtaking opportunities, we will have to wait and see."

BARRICHELLO WILL JOIN BAR-HONDA

• "I am very excited to confirm I will be at BAR. I wish to thank Ferrari for six fantastic years. I have won many races with them and I am proud to have helped the team, to date, to win five constructors' world championships. I can't think of anything more exciting than working with BAR and Honda to achieve our shared ambitions together"

RACE RESULT

SUN, AUG 21, 2005

• 1 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes
  "I'm very happy to win the first ever Turkish Grand Prix. We arrived here with a strong basis thanks to the work put in back at base which definitely made our weekend a lot easier. I didn't make the best of starts as I had bit of wheel spin which allowed Fisichella to pass. However he ran wide later on the first lap which allowed me to re-take the lead. I was pushing as hard as I could, but we knew our strategy would work, so really after the first pitstop I could be safe. I had a few scary moments with traffic which is always frustrating, but there is no doubt that our package is really quick. As a team we were a little bit unlucky today with what happened to Juan Pablo. At the end of the season two points can make all the difference, and all we can do is just to keep on winning. It's been a great visit to Turkey for me, and I can't wait for Monza."
• 2 Fernando Alonso Renault +18.6s
  "We had a slightly different race to normal today: we qualified quite early yesterday, when the track was slower, and that meant we had to try something unusual to get a good grid position. So we were quite light, and got a clean first stint which meant we could run without traffic for the rest of the race, and this paid off with two good finishes for the team. From my point of view, I knew the McLarens were faster so I concentrated on doing a race with no mistakes, and driving consistently: the car was reliable again, and I had some luck with Montoya's problems as well. But you know, sometimes you can make your own luck -- I kept the pressure on, and it paid off because I was close enough to take advantage. In terms of the championship, we know McLaren are faster but this was as good a result as I could have hoped for."
• 3 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes +19.6
  "I'm obviously disappointed to lose second place so close to the end of the race to Alonso. I had lapped Monteiro in the Jordan, but I think he must have locked up under braking and went into the back of me. The car felt OK for the first couple of corners after this, but when I came back to the pits after the race I could see that my entire diffuser at the back of the car had been destroyed. I then ran wide in turn eight which allowed Alonso to pass. I'm a bit disappointed as my car was very quick and the strategy was right, so second place would have been fairly easy. I had a bit of an incident in my first pitstop when the fuel nozzle got stuck, but that didn't really cost me too much time. I'm sad for the team because a one-two would have been really good for the Championships."
• 4 G Fisichella Renault +37.9
  "I got a great start even from the dirty side of the grid we had a lighter fuel load than the McLarens, and that gave us an advantage off the line. But I was struggling to get my tyres working properly in the opening laps, which meant I went off on lap one and that allowed Kimi to pass me; then the team had told me Fernando was quicker, so when he got a good slipstream down the back straight, I did not make things difficult for him because I knew I was fuelled a bit longer. I lost time at the first pit-stop with a problem on the fuel rig, so after that it was a good recovery to finish fourth. The balance of the car was quite good, so I was able to do consistent lap times and just push to the maximum. We have lost a few points in the championship to McLaren, but given the speed they showed today, it's not too bad."
• 5 J Button BAR +39.4
• 6 J Trulli Toyota +55.4
  "After a few months of bad luck and disappointing races, it's good to have a normal race again at last. I made a good start and I pushed to the limit at the beginning and throughout the race. I lost quite a bit of time in traffic during the race but other than that everything went well. I personally had a very strong race so it's good to be back where I ought to be. I always expected to be behind the two McLarens and the two Renaults, and the BAR has also shown good pace this weekend. So I'm really satisfied with our weekend's work and happy to come away with three points."
• 7 D Coulthard Red Bull
• 8 C Klien Red Bull
• 9 Sato BAR
• 10 Barrichello Ferrari
• 11 Villeneuve 12 R Schumacher 13 Doornbos 14 Karthikeyan 15 Monteiro
• DNF:
• M Schumacher (contact with Webber): "We have not been quick enough all weekend. In fact, back on Friday it was clear we were in a very difficult situation. Even before the start, I did not expect to get any points and that is how it turned out. As regards the incident with Webber, I saw him closing on me and he moved to the right. As I began to brake, I could no longer see him and, when I was in mid-corner, I felt a bang at the back as he hit me with his nose. He was one lap down, so I don't understand why he tried this move. After the collision, there was something wrong with the car, so I went into the pits where the mechanics changed the power steering incredibly quickly. I went back out on track so as not to have to be first out in qualifying in Monza. At least this worked out, as I made up three places."
• Heidfeld (tyres), Massa, Albers
• Webber (tyres/contact with Schumacher): "I think he was out of order ...Michael was incredibly slow. I was a lot quicker and wanted to get through."
• Rear tyre punctures affted both Williams-BMW cars: MICHELIN: "There is a kerb there which is a little bit more aggressive perhaps than the others, but it could be anything ... We've looked at our tyre and we didn't find any technical anomaly and have nothing yet to identify the cause."

McLAREN MERECEDES RACE REPORT

• Ron Dennis: "A very good race for the team and an excellent result for Kimi who drove a consistent and disciplined race. He made sure that he didn't get involved in any incidents. Our strategy proved to be superior, and two podium places are a good reward for the team's efforts. Regarding Juan Pablo's incident it should be noted that somebody who has been lapped already twice should make certain that he leaves enough room. The damage caused by the accident and Juan Pablo's off at Turn eight prevented us from achieving a one-two. We are looking forward to the rest of the season"
• Norbert Haug: "Congratulations to Kimi on a convincing victory and an outstanding performance. We saw a super race at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix and a good speed of our package on this technically demanding circuit. Unfortunately a twice lapped competitor who ran into the back of Juan Pablo -- certainly not on purpose -- prevented the team from scoring a 1-2 victory today. However we are pleased with the performance of both Kimi and Juan Pablo and the car on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar. We are now looking forward to the rest of the season and will work hard to maintain our competitiveness."

TOYOTA RACE REPORT

• Panasonic Toyota Racing will leave Istanbul with yet more points after Jarno Trulli took a well earned 6th place at today's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix. On a warm but cloudy day at the Istanbul Park, Jarno battled hard throughout the race on his way to three world championship points. Ralf Schumacher had a dramatic day after the most unfortunate of starts. The German was pushed wide as he tried to avoid an incident at the first corner and he then ran over debris as he rejoined the circuit. He nonetheless managed to work his way up from the back of the field to an eventual 12th place. The result consolidates Toyota's 4th place in the constructors' championship with a total of 71 points.
• NO RESTING ON ISTANBUL LAURELS
  It was a hard day's work for the whole Panasonic Toyota Racing team, but the three points earned by Jarno Trulli's three points strengthen the team's grip on 4th place in the constructors' championship.
• Tsutomu Tomita - Team Principal
  "We were able to bring home both cars with no technical problems, but we were short of outright race pace. Our lap times were reasonable but a long way behind the top teams. So with the performance we had today, we couldn't really expect a lot more. Both drivers did well and pushed as hard as the car would let them go. Still, we got three points from Jarno and the teams we are fighting with in the constructors' championship didn't pick up any points, so that's good news. But I hope we can make more steps forward for the remaining races of the season."

QUALIFYING

GRID, SAT

• 1 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes 1m 26.797s
  "I'm pleased to claim the first pole position for Formula 1 in Turkey. The lap was good but not perfect, and I lost a little bit of time in the last sector, but I knew I had some time in hand. We had made some changes to the car overnight and everything worked really well during practice this morning, so we knew we would have a strong chance for pole if everything went well. The circuit is great it's so different from many of the others, especially with the ups and downs. It will be a tough race tomorrow, but I am really looking forward to it. We have a lot to fight for and hopefully we will be able to get the results we need and also put on a good show for the many Turkish spectators who will experience Formula 1 live for the first time."
• 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1m 27.039
  "It is great to be on the front row for tomorrow's race. We have worked hard this weekend to get a good set-up on the car, and the team has done a great job, which you can see from the grid positions. The only problem with my lap was when I came up on Barrichello at the end we were very close through turns 12 and 13, and it disrupted my concentration, costing me a couple of tenths. Everything else went well though, so I am very positive for tomorrow."
• 3 Fernando Alonso Renault 1m 27.050
  "I am happy to be third, it is the clean side of the grid so we should have a better start and hopefully we can go through the first corner, not like Hungary, where we lost the nose."
• 4 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes
  "My qualifying lap was OK, but I know my time would have been so much better if I had done it later in the session. The car is working well and I have been strong in all sessions so far this weekend. The track is great and good fun to drive particularly when you have a competitive package and everything just comes together. There is no reason why I can't be strong in the race."
• 5 Jarno Trulli Toyota
  "That was another good lap because we have been struggling to finalise the set-up on my car this weekend. I was not at all happy with the balance this morning, so I changed the set-up completely for qualifying. That meant I went into qualifying without knowing how the car would behave. It was a bit windier than before so the car was a bit more nervous and that made qualifying more difficult than usual. But it worked pretty well, so that was another good performance from myself and the team. My target tomorrow is to score points and maybe even push for a podium."
• 6 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW
  "My qualifying lap was ok. As usual, it's difficult to find all the grip on the first lap but I am quite satisfied with this result, especially if I look at the rest of the weekend when I had some small, annoying problems in nearly every session. At least qualifying went all right! It looks like we are in better shape than we have been in the last few races, which is the most important thing. We are making progress and hopefully we will collect some points tomorrow."
• 7 Mark Webber Williams-BMW
• 8 Felipe Massa Sauber-Petronas
• 9 Ralf Schumacher Toyota
• 10 Christian Klien Red Bull-Cosworth
• 11 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari
• 12 David Coulthard Red Bull-Cosworth
• 13 Jenson Button BAR-Honda
• 14 Tiego Monteiro Jordan-Toyota
• 15 Christijan Albers Minardi-Cosworth
• NO TIME RECORDED:
• M Schumacher, Villeneuve , Karthikeyan, Doornbos , Sato
• Michael Schumacher: "We have been uncompetitive all weekend so far, therefore I had not expected to qualify very well: maybe around seventh place, which would not have been too bad for tomorrow's race. Even though we should really be looking for race wins, we could at least have been fighting for points. But, I went off the track and this is the result. We had expected Turn 9 to be difficult as the wind had picked up and I thought I had taken this into account, but obviously not enough. In the race, all I can do is push hard and try and do my best. It is still important for us to do as well as possible here, to help our chances in qualifying at Monza. After our performance in Hockenheim and Budapest, this weekend is clearly a step backwards."

FRI, PRAC #1

• 1 Pedro de la Rosa 1m 27.882s
• 2 Kimi Raikkonen +0.57
• 3 Mark Webber +0.88
• 4 Ricardo Zonta +0.92
• 5 Jenson Button
• 6 Juan Pablo Montoya
• 7 Fernando Alonso
• 8 Michael Schumacher
• 9 Takuma Sato
• 10 Giancarlo Fisichella

2005 RACE PREVIEW: TURKISH GP

BAR - BRIDGESTONE - FERRARI - JORDAN - McLAREN - RENAULT - SAUBER - TOYOTA - WILLIAMS

BAR-HONDA PREVIEW:

• Jenson Button: "I have driven around Istanbul Park in a road car and it looks very exciting, with some long, high-speed corners and a spectacular blind crest at Turn Three. It's always nice to go to new circuits and the main thing in Turkey will be to make sure we are physically well prepared. This is one of only three anti-clockwise venues on the calendar, along with Interlagos and Imola. That will place an unaccustomed load on our necks - and the elevated cornering speeds will intensify the effect. It doesn't take long to learn new tracks, although it's not something you can replicate properly beforehand using computer games. They teach you which way the corners go, but there's no substitute for getting out there in a Formula One car. On a technical level, however, the team and Michelin have done lots of simulation tests and these tend to be uncannily accurate. In the past Michelin has produced excellent tyres when we have visited new circuits, such as Shanghai and Bahrain last season, so I am confident we'll be in good shape."
• Takuma Sato: "It is always exciting to go to a new grand prix, especially in a country that I have not yet visited. From what I have seen so far, the circuit looks great. It is very difficult to know exactly what a new track will be like from two dimensional pictures, so the best way to get to know a circuit is to walk and drive around it first hand. I have had a good rest over the break and have been training hard. We are expecting the race to be very hot and physical, so it is important to stick to our fitness program between the races. I hope that we have a good race at the Turkish GP, to start the last of the remaining races with a strong performance."
• Gil de Ferran, Sporting director: "The team comes back refreshed from a much needed break over the last three weeks to probably one of the events that I am most looking forward too. I hear from Jenson who visited the Istanbul circuit earlier this year that the layout is unique and challenging from a driver's standpoint, which should make for some very spectacular scenes. From a team point of view, we have completed a lot of computer simulation to enable the drivers' to prepare as much as possible prior to the race and to do our best in determining the downforce, gear ratios and suspension set up that we will need. Probably the most challenging task has been for Michelin in trying to predict the best compound without ever having run on the Istanbul circuit. Both Honda and Michelin have done a lot of homework for this race, so we look forward to hitting the track on Friday."

FERRARI PREVIEW:

• Michael Schumacher:
• Rubens Barrichello:

BRIDGESTONE PREVIEW:

• Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "The addition of the Turkish Grand Prix is a very exciting one. Turkey is a country with both European and Asian roots and a country of considerable potential. The Bridgestone Corporation first entered the Turkish market in 1988 under the name of Brisa Bridgestone Sabanci Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., a partnership with the Sabanci Group. Brisa now has extensive car, 4x4, truck, bus and off-road tyre production facilities and is a market leader. Consequently I am delighted that Bridgestone Motorsport will be in Turkey this week with its Formula One partner teams to showcase our F1 technology in such an important market."
• Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager: "This weekend's Turkish Grand Prix will present us with an exciting new challenge as we tackle the only new track on the calendar this year. We have been working very closely with our teams, using simulation techniques to assess the demands of the track. We hope we can be as successful as we have been in the past on new tracks. It does seem that some of the corners will be long and fast, putting a high load on the tyres for a relatively long period of time. We can also expect temperatures to be high, perhaps in the region of 50 degrees Celcius on track. The track surface should be smooth but from a tyre point of view, it will be tough. Consequently, we are taking tyres from our medium to hard compound range."

JORDAN PREVIEW:

• Narain Karthikeyan:
• Tiago Monteiro:

McLAREN-MERCEDES PREVIEW:

• Norbert Haug, (Mercedes-Benz Motorsport): "With the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix this coming weekend we enter the final and crucial stage of the 2005 World Championship with six races in eight weeks until the final at Shanghai on 16 October. The Istanbul Otodrom has an interesting circuit design. The track has been adjusted to the terrain as known from classical circuits such as the Nürburging Nordschleife and Spa. The corners require a lot of downforce; however, the cars also need high speed on the straights. It will be a real challenge for drivers and engineers to evaluate the optimum set-up. It will be interesting to see who will find the best balance for this new track."
• RAIKKONEN: "It was a great result in Hungary for me and there are still six races with a maximum of 60 points to be won for a driver. As there is no testing at the Istanbul Speed Park, this is the first time I will have seen the track this weekend.I have seen graphics and it looks like a good layout with a mix of challenges, such as slow and fast corners, long straights, and elevation changes. I hope we can put on a good race at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix for the Turkish fans and everybody watching TV worldwide."
• MONTOYA: "I enjoy driving on newly designed circuits, such as Malaysia and Shanghai, so I am looking forward to the Turkish Grand Prix. The car feels great and hopefully I will be able to make the most of it this weekend and finish on the podium. When we get there on Thursday I will go for a recce with my engineers, to take a close look at braking points, cambers, apexes and so on. It should be quite a quick track, the estimated top speeds are around 320km/h. The longest straight is just over 700 metres, it has a slight right kink in the middle and it will be interesting to see what affect this will have on overtaking along this section of the track."

RENAULT RACE PREVIEW:

• ALONSO: a lap with Fernando Alonso
  "As with any new circuit, the engineers have been working for several months now to simulate the track layout in Turkey. They have worked out predicted grip levels and the dimensions of the circuit in order to simulate a lap as closely as possible, which will allow us to calculate starting set-ups, cooling levels and already inform our tyre choice. What we know already is that Istanbul will be a demanding circuit for the tyres, as we expect some of the highest track temperatures of the season, and for the brakes, with at least six stops from near or over 300 kph to second gear. This is how the engineers expect a lap to be driven.
• We will cross the start and finish line in sixth gear, at 300 kph on a flying lap and it is actually positioned quite close to the first corner. We will touch 320 kph before braking heavily for the T1/T2 sequence, which comprises a tight left hander followed by a progressively opening right. The left hander is taken in 3rd gear at around 160 kph, and we will then be back on the power as soon as possible as we take 2, lifting only briefly to apex at around 220 kph.
• The run to T3 curves gently right, and we will once again hit 320 kph before braking heavily for the next sequence of three corners. The first corner, the left-hander of T3, is actually the quickest of these, taken at 165 kph in 3rd gear, and we will have to compromise the exit slightly, sticking to the left of the circuit to get the correct line for T4. We downshift once for the right hander, taking it at 120 kph before a short burst of acceleration to 3rd gear, then braking again for the tight double-apex lefts of T5 and T6. These will be treated as one corner, with T5 taken at 120 kph before T6 under full acceleration.
• Like T2, the exit of this corner opens out, and we will have to be on the power as soon as possible, with a stable rear end, to maximise our speed on the run to T7. This type of corner also puts the rear tyres under real strain, as they are subjected to high lateral loads as well as the acceleration forces. The track runs downhill slightly on the way to T7 and we will touch 300 kph before braking to 2nd gear for the right hand hairpin, which is taken at 115 kph. Once again, the corner opens out on exit, and leads us into the most interesting corner on the circuit -- T8. This long left hander will be particularly tough for the right front tyre, as it comprises four different apices, taken at approximately 175 kph in third and fourth gears. Once again, a clean exit will be important as any mistakes could open the door for cars behind into T9.
• The sequence of T9/T10 will be treated like a chicane we brake from 320 kph in sixth gear to 115 kph for T9, the left-hander, before then accelerating through T10 without lifting at approximately 200 kph. A good exit from T9 and the correct line through T10 will be crucial as they lead onto the circuit's longest straight and its most obvious passing opportunity. The right-hand kink of T11 is taken flat out in sixth gear at 310 kph, and competitors will have a good opportunity to overtake on the brakes into T12.
• We will hit a maximum speed of around 330 kph before braking for the slowest corner on the circuit, T12, taken at just 95 kph in second gear. We may see some interesting manoeuvres into the corner, because it is immediately followed by a slow right-hander at T13 meaning a driver on the outside through the hairpin will have the ideal line in T13. That could mean we see cars battling side by side through these corners.
• T13 will be taken at 110 kph, and we will then look to position the cars on the right-hand side of the circuit to get the best possible line through T14 and onto the start/finish straight The final corner will be taken in 2nd gear, at approximately 115 kph, before accelerating hard down the main straight and towards another lap. In total, we expect this to take us around 1:25.000."
• FISICHELLA:

SAUBER RACE PREVIEW:

• Jacques Villeneuve:
• Felipe Massa:

TOYOTA RACE PREVIEW:

• If you thought last month's Hungarian Grand Prix was hot, you're in for a big surprise. A trip to Turkey in the middle of August should warm the cockles - and it could even set new standards for heat at a Formula One race. The purpose-built Istanbul Otodrom is the only addition to the F1 calendar in 2005. The circuit appears from simulations to be a fairly typical modern grand prix track but it features more ups and downs than usual because of its hilly location. Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to Turkey fresh from its 11-point haul in Hungary looking to keep 4th place in the constructors' championship as the season enters its home stretch. Members of the F1 fraternity will certainly know they're back from their August mini-break as they step out of their planes into the blazing heat of the Turkish summer.
• Dieter Gass (Chief Race Engineer): "Before we go to a new track, all the teams receive a computer file with information on the circuit. Then you run some simulations using specialist software. First you determine the likely level of downforce and you establish your gear ratios. Then you have to look more at the detail about what you have to do to the suspension settings and you try to characterise the circuit based on the experience that you have. From there you basically decide which set-up you will start with for the first practice session. On the first visit to a new circuit you can see some differences between the way teams run on Friday morning. For example in China last year we made the right conclusions and that made a difference. To us, Istanbul looks like a fairly typical medium downforce circuit, like many others on the calendar. But you need to verify that the simulations you've done are correct when the cars start running. Of course, this is a completely new track so the surface will have no grip at the beginning and it will be difficult to draw conclusions on the first day. But you still have to make the tyre choice in the evening, as always. At a new circuit you need to be very quick with your reactions. Everything becomes more challenging, but that makes things interesting."
• Jarno Trulli (Car 16): "When you go to a new circuit it doesn't really have a major effect on the weekend. You just make sure you walk around the track on Thursday, then you spend the first session on Friday learning the circuit. By the second session it's back to normal and the rest of the weekend is the same as usual. Before we get there we have pretty much no idea about what the circuit will be like for driving. The back straight looks long so we might have a chance of overtaking at the end of that. The only other thing that stands out is that it is an anti-clockwise circuit. That means you might feel it in your neck because the pressures are the other way round from usual. There are some hills but when it comes to blind corners you just pick your braking point on Friday morning and get used to it. Apart from that you just go there and see what happens. I've never been to Turkey, so I'm looking forward to seeing the country. The one thing I do know is that it will be hot.!
• Ralf Schumacher (Car 17): "I made a trip to Istanbul earlier this year, so I've already had a chance to see a bit of Turkey. The city was nice, we were very well received and I hope to have more time to see it when I come there this time. But I did not get a chance to visit the Istanbul Otodrom. When you go to a new track you usually spend the first session getting used to it. In this case it's a brand new circuit for everyone, so it's not too much of a problem. Everyone is affected in a similar way. I haven't seen any simulations yet, and the circuit maps are just lines on a page. The fact that this circuit has hills makes things more interesting than usual. The blind corners aren't a big problem but it won't be easy to brake downhill and sometimes you tend to lock up wheels on those kind of circuits. So I will take the scooter round on Thursday just to see which corner comes after which corner. Then you take the car on Friday and do the best you can."

WILLIAMS-BMW RACE PREVIEW:

• Nick Heidfeld: "I'm looking forward to the first Turkish Grand Prix for two reasons. Firstly, I've never been to Turkey before so I'm excited about visiting a new country. That is probably one of the best things about having a career in Formula One, you get the opportunity to see places you may not have done otherwise. Secondly, I'm really looking forward to driving the circuit. There's nothing more exciting for a driver than racing on a new track. From everything I've heard, the Otodrom sounds really interesting. It has plenty of gradient changes, which I particularly like. Obviously we're going to have to deal with Turkey's considerable heat, but I've never had a problem with that in the past. The ability to prepare for a new circuit is, of course, limited. I've bought the Playstation game but, before I go to Turkey, I'll also be doing some work in our simulator at Grove."
• Mark Webber: "I always look forward to new venues. Although there are a lot of races on this year's calendar, it's rare that we go to new circuits which challenge the drivers. I think, though, that Istanbul will do exactly that. I visited the circuit at the start of 2004 and, although they had only just started excavating the site, it looked like it was going to have some good characteristics and have the potential for a great Formula One track. Looking at the data now, the circuit appears to have a lot of slow corners, interspersed with long straights. Whether this will provide overtaking opportunities, we will have to wait and see. The circuit's organisers have put so much effort into bringing F1 to Turkey, I really hope that the locals get behind the race so we can put on a good show for them and the rest of the world. Both Nick and I scored points in the last race in Budapest, and I hope we can continue to make progress at Istanbul so we can challenge for podiums again before the end of the season."
• Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1): "Although we have had a three week break since Budapest, everyone at Grove has been working hard to bring development parts for the FW27 to Istanbul. We made a good step in performance at the last race and we intend to continue that trend in Turkey. Istanbul is a completely new circuit but this doesn't stop us from analysing certain aspects to feed into our simulation tools. From these tools, we can predict the set-up, downforce level, brake severity, cooling level and the effect on tyre compounds. We are expecting high ambient temperatures, perhaps up to 40°C, which, with no cloud cover, will result in track temperatures reaching around 55°C. In terms of strategy and overtaking opportunities, Istanbul will again present a new challenge for the engineers and the drivers."
• Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): "We will be competing in Istanbul with the BMW P84/5 engines we used in Budapest, which means we have to cope with two hot races in a row. This places extreme demands on reliability, particularly as the circuit has a number of elevations. In all likeliness, we will be using the largest air intakes possible at the Turkish Grand Prix, as we did in Hungary. We are very much looking forward to Turkey's first Formula One race, and to visiting such a great city. A new Grand Prix is more than just another race, it means new markets and new opportunities, and as such it will help safeguard the future of Formula One."

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