Speedcafe.com Race Guide - 2011 Turkish Grand Prix

RACE Round 4 – Turkish Grand Prix – May 6-8

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ISTANBUL

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Race Guide After Red Bull Racing domination in Australia and Malaysia, McLaren fought back hard in China. The team celebratred hard, too.

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Round 4 – Turkey

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Race Preview

Round 4 – Turkey

INTRODUCTION RACE GUIDE

ISTANBUL

EVENT 2 – Clipsal 500, Adelaide – March 17-20

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EDITOR: Stefan Bartholomaeus PRODUCTION: Stefan Bartholomaeus SALES/MARKETING: Leisa Emberson IMAGES: Scuderia Ferrari Red Bull Racing Vodafone McLaren Mercedes GUEST COLUMNIST: Craig Baird PARTNERS: Castrol EDGE, IRWIN Tools, Jack Daniel’s, Orrcon Steel, Pirtek, Vodafone, HDT, Norton 360

Endangered Turkey

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he Formula One paddock will be abuzz this weekend in

Istanbul, as the teams enjoy the trappings of what is somewhat awkwardly being referred to as the first European race of the season.

While geography indicates that the Turkish Grand Prix is an Asian event, the presence of the team trucks and hospitality units not taken to the first three ‘fly-away’ races makes it European as far as the teams are concerned.

Sadly, this weekend’s epic battle between Red Bull Racing and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes will be played out under a cloud over the event’s future.

The seventh running of the Turkish Grand Prix may well be the last, with Bernie Ecclestone, whose private company holds the operating rights to the Istanbul circuit, having indicated that he’ll double the race fee required from the local government next season.

Although the 5.3km layout is lauded as Herman Tilke’s finest creation (by some margin), the race has suffered from low ticket sales, and will need either a miracle turnout this weekend, or an Ecclestone backflip, to survive.

The Turkish Grand Prix has provided some lasting memories during its relatively short time on the calendar, including three tremendous drives from Felipe Massa, and the incredible Red Bull fiasco of last year.

With the race having narrowly avoided cancellation in 2006 following a less than subtle political stunt, whereby the winner’s trophy was handed out by the “President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”, perhaps we should be grateful that the event has survived this long.

Green means go!

STEFAN BARTHOLOMAEUS Journalist, Speedcafe.com Editor, Speedcafe Race Guides

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Race Guide

COVER STORY

Ferrari on Red Alert The Scuderia has been left behind during the opening three races, but believes it knows what it has to do to catch runaway leaders Red Bull Racing and McLaren

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cuderia Ferrari has been left to lament taking a conservative approach to the design of its 2011 Formula One challenger.

Ferrari has been outshone by Red Bull Racing and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes during the opening three races, with the proud Italian squad already 55 points behind the reigning champions in the Constructors Championship.

Neither Fernando Alonso or Felipe Massa has seen the podium so far this season - a major shock considering the team’s strong pre-season testing form.

According to Ferrari’s Chief Designer Nikolas Tombazis, the team’s problems have been twofold.

“The problem is linked mainly to the aerodynamics and can be divided into two parts,” he says.

“The first revolves around a lack of correlation between data from the wind tunnel and that seen at the track. Furthermore, we must admit that, even without this problem, we would not have been in a position to fight for the wins in the first three races.

“We have tried to see if our approach was too conservative and we realised that, for various reasons, we were neither

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reactive nor aggressive enough in the development stages.

“We have made some adjustments to our working practices to try and focus much more on car performance - we have changed the working practice in the wind tunnel and in terms of the development of the aerodynamic design side “Based on this, I expect that the results of these changes should be seen in the upcoming races.”

The F150th Italias will compete in this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix with upgraded front and rear wings, as well as new front and rear brake duct designs.

The components were tested

by Ferrari-backed GP2 driver Jules Bianchi at Vairano last week, and are reportedly more aggressive in their design than the pieces they replace.

Tombazis does not deny that the 150th Italia has lacked truly innovative features - an area which he says the team is working on.

“At the moment, we don’t have a winning car and, on those of our competitors we can see innovative solutions introduced in a more aggressive fashion than we have done,” he says.

“Maybe we were a bit too passive in our approach - we did not push hard enough in

some areas of development and unfortunately, the results can be seen on track.

“Now we are reacting and we want to rediscover the spirit of innovation which maybe we have lost a bit over the past two years. Despite that, I am convinced that Ferrari will be competitive again.

“We have had a disappointing start to the season. In order to recover from it, I think it is important to understand what mistakes we made and we have analysed this with much honesty and open mindedness. I am therefore convinced that we can get back to winning again.”

Alonso, who came within five points of winning last year’s title, is not overly optimistic heading into this weekend’s race.

“We know we have to take a significant step forward in terms of performance if we want to get back to fighting for the top places, especially in qualifying,” he says.

“I’m not expecting a major change in Istanbul. On Friday we will see if the new parts work the way we are expecting, but we are well aware that the others have not been twiddling their thumbs these past few weeks, so it’s impossible to say today where we are compared to our main rivals.”

Round 4 – Turkey

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Race Guide

Aussie Grit

Chinese the first time this season at the for m diu po the nd fou er bb We Mark the grid to third, the Red Bull on th 18 m fro y wa his ed arg Grand Prix. Having ch his champagne shower.

Racing driver made the most of

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Event 12 – Symmons Plains

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Race Guide

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Round 4 – Turkey

TRACK DETAILS

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he Istanbul Park circuit is one of the most varied on the calendar, with both high and low speed sections. The most famous corner on the track is the seemingly never-ending Turn 8, a four-apex corner leading onto a long straight. Although this corner has a spoon-like profile, it is actually taken completely flat, therefore putting the engine at maximum revs from the exit of Turn 7, through Turn 8 and then onto the straight leading to Turn 9. The total time at full power for this complex is 17secs.

After the braking zone for Turn 9 the driver goes back on the throttle through Turn 10 and stays on it through the slight kink of Turn 11 until the hairpin at turn 12. He will be on the power for another 17secs, giving a total of 34secs at maximum revs through five corners.

The low speed Turn 12, 13, 14 complex is an area where a driver can gain – or lose – large amounts of time. The

driver will brake from 320kph to 80kph for Turn 12, a shallow hairpin, before the tight right hander of Turn 13 and then the final corner into the pit straight. Good driveability and traction out of the slow corners is key From the pole slot to the first corner there is only 150m; similar to the Monaco track. Without any change of direction the pole sitter will make this short distance in approximately six seconds. In this case KERS will not be a major advantage as there will only be a very short margin to use it – just 3.5secs.

Key technical stats: Fuel consumption: Medium Downforce level: Medium Average speed: 221kph Highest speed: 320kph

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Round 4 –2 Turkey Round – Malaysia

OPINION by CRAIG BAIRD

The scene of the crime

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his weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix marks a return to the scene of the crime in many ways - the place where the relationship between Vettel and Webber fell a little bit short in 2010.

The whole situation at Red Bull Racing has changed a lot in the last 12 months. At this stage of the season at least, (Sebastian) Vettel has really got the upper-hand and Mark (Webber) is a little bit on the chase, as far as outright speed goes.

Obviously off the back of the Chinese Grand Prix Mark will have his confidence up a little bit, because he really had one of the drives of his life. But the sad part was it was from 18th to third, not from third to first.

Red Bull and McLaren are the form teams right now, and it’s interesting to see the different relationships between the drivers in those teams. It’s certainly a lot more cordial at McLaren.

I think deep down, Jenson Button went to McLaren knowing he was going to be a bit of a Number 2. He’d never say that publically of course, but I think when he goes to bed at night, he never thought he was going to come in and steamroll past Lewis Hamilton.

Mark and Sebastian are different because of the way their partnership came together. When Sebastian joined the team, Mark had all the experience and was mentally quite strong, so they were at very different stages of their careers.

Unfortunately for Mark, in every athlete’s career, no matter what the sport, there comes a time when there’s a changing of the guard, and we’re probably seeing the beginning of another Michael Schumacher-esque era with Vettel.

The bad news for everybody else is, when a guy with that sort of talent gets into that sort of team with that sort of car, then his confidence just skyrockets,

and it becomes very hard to peg him back. He’s just going from strength to strength.

This year will be a real battle between McLaren and Red Bull. McLaren just keeps marching forward. What they did from the end of pre-season testing to Melbourne just confounded everybody, and they haven’t stopped their development program I’m sure.

The extended break between China and Turkey is probably going to help them even more.

By contrast, the guys at Ferrari are absolutely blown away by how far off the pace they are, and I’m not sure if it’s going to change anytime soon. They did more test miles than anyone, they came in with reliability and reasonable speed, and since then they’ve just been shaking their heads.

They probably needed this break more than anybody, to try and close the gap, but I honestly think the gap is too big between them and McLaren/Red Bull. I think they’ll battle to close it this year.

You’ve got the Red Bull, which is massively fast, and they’re still playing around with an unreliable KERS system, so they’re still not at their full potential. Then you’ve got McLaren, who are still developing and moving forward every week...

It’s one thing to close the gap to a stationary target, but quite another when they’re still developing. I think it’ll be a tough year for them.

F1 TV TIMES Saturday; Qualifying - 8:30-10:15pm (One HD) Sunday; Race - 9:00pm-12:00am (One HD), 10:30pm12:40am (Ten).

Check local guides for details

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Race Guide

THE BAG MAN

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Round 4 –2 Turkey Round – Malaysia

RED BULL RACING SEBASTIAN VETTEL “Turkey is a hard track on tyres and it’s usually quite hot there – but I especially like the place as it’s where I had my first F1 test drive. Our car should be strong there, but of course we can never take anything for granted..“

Nat: German DoB: 03/07/1987 Wins: 12

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MARK WEBBER “I like Istanbul Park - there are a lot of undulations. The circuit includes Turn 8, which is a very, very long corner with multiple apexes and is very high speed, which puts added strain on the tyres and the drivers’ necks.”

Nat: Australian DoB: 27/08/1976 Wins: 6

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel were defeated for the first time this season last time out in China - making their Turkish Grand Prix upgrade package an important one.

With McLaren having closed much of the team’s early season performance advantage, the Milton Keynes squad now more than ever needs to make sure it gets the details right, such as its troublesome KERS. Team figurehead Dr Helmut Marko has boasted that the KERS issues, believed to have stemmed from the placement of the KERS battery pack next to the gearbox rather than below the fuel tank, are now fixed.

If they are not, it could spell big trouble. Packing KERS into such a hot, noisy place may give a weight distribution advantage, but with chassis having to be homologated at the beginning of the season, it is not a principal that can be abandoned easily.

If the KERS issues have been overcome, then the team still looks hard to beat, with Vettel in fine form and Webber buoyed by his Shanghai heroics. Still the favourites.

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McLAREN MERCEDES LEWIS HAMILTON “This is a circuit where KERS will be a major benefit - most of the straights come after low-speed corners, so there’s plenty of scope for using the KERS – most notably out of Turn 10, but also out of the final corner.”

Nat: British DoB: 07/01/1985 Wins: 15

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JENSON BUTTON “I don’t think it’s an under-estimation to say that tyre wear will probably determine every team’s race strategy. It will be important to run the tyre within a safe operating window, and that’s likely to determine when and how often we stop during the grand prix.”

Nat: British DoB: 19/01/1980 Wins: 9

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY McLaren is the team with all the attention heading into this weekend after Lewis Hamilton’s stunning Chinese Grand Prix victory.

The Woking lads have made a remarkable turnaround from their pre-season issues, and still appear far from their full potential.

The break between races will have given further time for the development of the Red Bull-style blown diffuser that was first rushed onto the cars at Albert Park.

A conservative, last-minute fix at the time, the MP4-26’s exhaust/ diffuser layout has been continually tweaked since, and should yield more improvement in Istanbul.

The Mercedes KERS, which gave Hamilton a pre-race scare in Shanghai, could also be an advantage over Red Bull.

If Hamilton can make his rightfront tyre last for whole stints, then he should once again challenge Vettel for the win. If he can’t, teammate Jenson Button will no doubt be right there ready to take up the fight.

Round 4 – Turkey

FERRARI FERNANDO ALONSO “The Istanbul circuit is very technical, with many different types of corner and a couple of places where overtaking was possible in the past: this year that should be even more the case thanks to the moveable rear wing.”

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FELIPE MASSA “Istanbul is a very special place for me, as it was here in 2006 that I took my first ever F1 victory, which is something no driver can ever forget. I remember it as an incredible win from pole position.”

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY Conservative has been a word best associated with Ferrari of late - with an unwillingness to try a three-stop strategy in the Chinese Grand Prix not combining well with a fundamentally conservative aerodynamic package.

The team is not making overtly positive noises about its Istanbul upgrades, which will include new front and rear wings, as well as new front and rear brake ducts.

The F150th Italia’s predecessor, the F60, was highly uncompetitive in Turkey last year - with the race marking the low-point of the Scuderia’s season.

While the same may prove true in 2011, Ferrari should not be ruled out completely. While unlikely to star on Saturday, Fernando Alonso remains an outside podium chance if armed with the right tyre strategy.

Felipe Massa too has some reason to be optimistic, as he is coming off his best performance of the season in Shanghai, to a track he has won on three times at in the past.

The pair should be fighting Mercedes to be ‘best of the rest.’

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Race Guide

MERCEDES MICHAEL SCHUMACHER “After returning from the first three races, I have enjoyed spending some time with my family in the short break, and I am now really looking forward to the action getting underway again.”

Nat: German DoB: 03/01/1969 Wins: 91

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NICO ROSBERG “We had a more difficult start to 2011 than we had expected, and the first three races felt a little like a rollercoaster of emotions. We were all disappointed in Melbourne and Malaysia but, after leading the race in Shanghai, we have confirmed the potential of our car.”

Nat: German DoB: 27/06/1985 Wins: 0

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY After a disastrous start to the season in Australia and Malaysia, Mercedes made a huge leap forward in China, with Nico Rosberg scoring fifth place after taking turns in the lead during the pitstop cycles.

Since the start of the season, team principal Ross Brawn has championed the notion that the W02 has fundamental speed that will take time to unlock.

Rosberg has indicated in recent days that the Brackley squad’s simulator is showing that a onesecond per lap gain has been made since China.

While coy on what exactly will be new on the cars in Istanbul, significant rear diffuser/exhaust tweaks are to be expected if the gains are anywhere approaching the stated magnitude.

Depending on how the simulator gains transfer to on-track gains, the Silver Arrows should either be directly behind, or directly ahead, of the Ferraris this weekend.

Round 1 – Australia

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Race Guide

RENAULT NICK HEIDFELD

“I think we’ve shown over the first three races that we have a good car and Istanbul could be very interesting because it is the first European race and a lot of teams will bring updates, including us. Hopefully we’ll be able to give a good performance again. “ Recent Grand Prix Form

Nat: German DoB: 10/05/1977 Wins: 0

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VITALY PETROV “I like the layout of the circuit; it has a good mix of everything, and we all know about the famous Turn 8 in Istanbul. Another aspect is that it is quite a wide track which makes it quite safe. “ Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

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Nat: Russian DoB: 08/09/1984 Wins: 0

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY A double disaster in qualifying ruined Renault’s Chinese Grand Prix weekend - causing the black and gold outfit to slip significantly behind Ferrari in the Constructors Championship.

The car’s trait of strong grid getaways seemed to go missing in China - so the fortunes of Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov at the start will again be interesting to watch this weekend.

For the fourth race in succession, the team will bring a revised front wing, while promised tweaks to air intakes and the floor are expected to be relatively minor.

While its unique forward-facing exhausts have been lauded throughout the paddock, it remains to be seen if system has the development potential of Red Bull’s blown version.

Nevertheless, the car should be quick enough to qualify in the top 10 this weekend, and its tyre-friendly trait may come to the fore on a circuit featuring the feared four-apex Turn 8.

Points are expected, and although an optimistic outcome, a top five is not out of the question.

Round 4 – Turkey

WILLIAMS RUBENS BARRICHELLO “Everyone says Turn 8 is a highlight, and it is, but I also find the circuit nice from a set-up point of view with qualifying also a good challenge. I like the track as a whole.”

Nat: Brazilian DoB: 23/05/1972 Wins: 11

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PASTOR MALDONADO “Last year I had one of my best races of the season in Istanbul racing in GP2. If we can get the car performing as we want to this weekend, it will be a good event for us.”

Nat: Venezuelan DoB: 09/03/1985 Wins: 0

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY Heads have rolled over Williams’s disastrous start to the 2011 season, with the coming departure of technical director Sam Michael among the recently announced changes.

While insisting that the team has a raft of ideas and upgrades in the pipeline for the FW33, Michael has also admitted that the Grove outfit’s low-budget KERS, and its unreliable run through winter testing, has hurt badly.

Diverting too much of its resources into the innovative but highly fragile ‘mini-gearbox’ has also contributed significantly to the team’s woes.

Both cars made it home in Shanghai for the first time, but neither were in the points.

A points finish for Rubens Barrichello this weekend is not completely out of the question, but will depend upon the fortunes of others.

Maldonado will at least be able to continue his rookie season uninhibited by the pressure of expectation.

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Race Guide

FORCE INDIA ADRIAN SUTIL “It was good to have a short break to think about our start to the season, to analyse all the data and to relax a bit. In many ways the first three races were better than expected we scored points and were always quite close to the top ten.”

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Nat: German DoB: 11/01/1983 Wins: 0

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PAUL DI RESTA “Racing at Istanbul will be a new experience for me because I didn’t take part in Friday practice last year and I’ve never driven the track. All I have to go on is the simulator work I’ve carried out in preparation for the event. “ Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

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Nat: British DoB: 16/04/1986 Wins: 0

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY After points finishes in Australia and Malaysia, the Force India campaign dipped slightly in China.

While Paul di Resta brilliantly made Q3 on Saturday, showing both speed and patience during a tense Q2 finale, neither the Scot or team-mate Adrian Sutil troubled the points scorers on Sunday.

Both drivers were left to rue unexpectedly high tyre wear in their two-stop performances at Shanghai - a trait which could again keep the VJM04s out of the points this weekend.

Remarkably however, di Resta’s 11th place finish was the worst result of his rookie season so far. Talk of a drive in the factory Mercedes team in the not-too-distant future will also have helped the 2010 DTM Champion’s confidence, while not having driven on the Istanbul layout before is unlikely to be major hindrance.

Team principal Vijay Mallya believes his team is now in a position to score points in every race, but like all midfield squads, how its latest upgrade package behaves on the track is a major question mark.

Both drivers should be right on the cusp of the top 10, if not inside it.

Round 1 – Australia

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Race Guide

SAUBER KAMUI KOBAYASHI “The grip level at this circuit is normally very low, which means the cars tend to slide a lot. I believe it will be crucial to save the front tyres in particular so the wear is as low as possible.”

Nat: Japanese DoB: 13/09/1986 Wins: 0

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SERGIO PEREZ “In a way I feel for me the championship is about to start now with these next races on circuits I know. I have raced at Istanbul Park twice in the GP2 series and I find the track very nice. I especially used to enjoy turn eight a lot.”

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Nat: Mexican DoB: 26/01/1990 Wins: 0

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THE BAGMAN’S SAY Sauber will once again fight for the final points with Force India and Toro Rosso in Turkey.

The Swiss outfit sits ahead of its aforementioned two rivals in the Constructors Championship after three races despite its doubleexclusion in Australia.

While Sergio Perez’s collision with Adrian Sutil prevented a strong result in China, Kamui Kobayashi bagged another well-earned point for the Ferrari-engined team.

Sauber will bring both aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades to Istanbul - but its greatest asset is again likely to be in the area of tyre management.

The unique loadings that will be experienced in Turkey is another step into the unknown for new tyre supplier Pirelli, and while three stops are again expected for the front-runners, Sauber is the most likely to get away with just two while maintaining a competitive pace.

Kobayashi should be in the top 10 at the end of both Saturday and Sunday, with Perez not far behind.

Round 4 – Turkey

TORO ROSSO SEBASTIEN BUEMI “We were disappointed not to add to our points tally in Shanghai, but I am encouraged by our speed - in particular on Saturday. I look forward to trying again this weekend.”

Nat: Swiss DoB: 31/10/1988 Wins: 0

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MAL

CHI

12

11

14

10

DNF

13

15

8

13

14

Recent Istanbul Form 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

15

16

JAIME ALGUESUARI “The Istanbul track is a favourite for many of the drivers. Turn 8 is very long and challenging. It takes some time to find the maximum speed. there., and is a test of the drivers’ fitness.”

Nat: Spanish DoB: 23/03/1990 Wins: 0

Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

ITA

SIN

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

13

15

12

11

11

11

9

11

14

DNF

THE BAGMAN’S SAY Toro Rosso’s performance this weekend lies largely out of its own hands.

The Italian squad will not bring major upgrades to what is being considered as the first ‘European’ race of the season - leaving it to potentially slip behind the Sauber/ Force India/Williams midfield fight.

While the Toro Rosso’s first major upgrade package is now not due until Monaco, the team’s Shanghai qualifying performance will have given drivers Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastian Buemi some confidence that a points finish is possible this weekend.

The duo qualified seventh and ninth respectively for the Chinese Grand Prix - marking the first time two STRs had made Q3 since its victorious Monza 2008 weekend.

Without major upgrades however, scoring points in Istanbul will be a very big ask.

Recent Istanbul Form 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

12

23 25

Race Guide

LOTUS HEIKKI KOVALAINEN “I think that if we can repeat our performance in the race in Malaysia then it means we can repeat it anywhere in the world. China is similar to Malaysia in that it’s a modern circuit and it has some pretty heavy braking zones.”

Nat: Finnish DoB: 19/10/1981 Wins: 1

Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

ITA

SIN

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

16

18

16

12

13

18

17

DNF

15

16

Recent Istanbul Form 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

-

-

6

12

14

DNF

JARNO TRULLI “People talk about Turn 8 being the most hardcore bit of the track but for me it’s not that big a challenge - our car should be ok around the whole lap and after having had more time to work on the next update, which we’ll see in Barcelona, the focus will be on getting the most out of the car in qualifying.”

Nat: Italian DoB: 13/07/1974 Wins: 1

Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

ITA

SIN

19 DNF DNF

Recent Istanbul Form

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

13

DNF

19

21

13

DNF

19

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

6

9

16

10

4

DNF

26

THE BAGMAN’S SAY While the media focus continues to surround Team Lotus’s off-track issues, things have not quite been plain sailing on it across the first three events.

Having made inroads towards the midfield since last season, the T128 continues to be plagued by power steering issues.

First appearing on the car’s winter testing debut, the issues have reportedly been the team’s main focus since the Chinese Grand Prix - at a time when other teams are focussing largely on aerodynamics.

Even so, the green machines are expected to retain their position between the established squads and the Virgin/HRT tailenders in Istanbul.

After an intense season-long battle between the team-mates in 2010, Heikki Kovalainen currently leads Jarno Trulli three-nill in qualifying this year. Again this intra-team battle is set to be an interesting chapter in the squad’s weekend.

Round 1 – Australia

25

Race Guide

HRT NARAIN KARTHIKEYAN ”I don’t have great memories of this circuit as my only previous visit in 2005 with Jordan GP was marred by mechanical problems but my memories of Turkey itself are great, the people are so nice and the food is fantastic..”

Nat: Indian DoB: 14/01/1977 Wins: 0

Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

ITA

SIN

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

DNQ

DNF

23

Recent Istanbul Form 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

DNF

-

-

-

-

-

VITANTONIO LIUZZI “Our target for Turkey is to verify that our updates are working as per plan, closing the gap on the leader and obviously finishing the race ahead of our direct competitors.

If everything goes to plan, I think Hispania Racing can surprise a lot of people.”

Nat: Italian DoB: 08/06/1981 Wins: 0

Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

ITA

SIN

10 12 DNF

Recent Istanbul Form

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

DNF

6

DNF

DNF

DNQ

DNF

22

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

-

DNF

15

-

-

13

28

THE BAGMAN’S SAY Hispania Racing Team principal Colin Kolles believes his squad can beat Virgin Racing this weekend.

While it may have seemed fanciful a month ago, the team’s recent rate of development indicates it may be possible.

Having been non-qualifiers in Australia, the team ran slowly and unreliably in the Malaysian race, before really joining the party in Shanghai.

Both cars finished the Chinese Grand Prix, with Tonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan both just two laps behind the winner, and on the same lap as the Virgins, at the flag.

HRT will bring aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades to Istanbul, and with Liuzzi having been just 0.5s slower than Glock in Q1 in China, the first segment of qualifying will again provide some interest this weekend.

Round 4 – Turkey

VIRGIN TIMO GLOCK There’s a lot of hard work to focus on with our new upgrade.

It’s quite a major package but these things take time to adapt to the track and our focus has to be getting as much running as possible so we can get maximum data.”

Recent Grand Prix Form

Nat: German DoB: 18/03/1982 Wins: 0

BEL

ITA

SIN

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

18

17

DNF

14

DNF

20

DNF

DNF

16

21

Recent Istanbul Form 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

13

8

18

JEROME D’AMBROSIO Istanbul Park Circuit is a track I know well from my GP2 career.

The track has some good challenges and the chance to race on an anti-clockwise circuit is always fun and reminds you why you have to keep pushing so hard with your fitness levels, which I’ve been doing over the three-week break.” .

Recent Grand Prix Form BEL

ITA

SIN

Recent Istanbul Form

Nat: Belgian DoB: 27/12/1985 Wins: 0

JAP

KOR

BRA

ABU

AUS

MAL

CHI

-

-

-

-

14

DNF

20

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

THE BAGMAN’S SAY This weekend is perhaps more important for Virgin Racing than any other team on the grid.

The second-year squad is bringing what it describes as a major upgrade package to Istanbul, which is said to be a completely new aerodynamic direction for the team, having struggled badly across the opening three races.

A new nose, floor and exhaust is believed to be part of the package, which will appear only on Timo Glock’s car this weekend.

While the team has warned that it will take more than one race meeting to extract the maximum from the upgrades, it is clear that if progress is not scene this weekend, the 2011 season will not a very difficult one for Virgin Racing.

Slipping behind Liuzzi’s Hispania entry this weekend is a distinct possibility, especially for Jerome D’Ambrosio, who is not due to receive the updates until Spain.

27 29

Race Guide

22

Round 4 – Turkey

PAST TURKISH GP WINNERS 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005

Lewis Hamilton Jenson Button Felipe Massa Felipe Massa Felipe Massa Kimi Raikkonen

McLaren-Mercedes Brawn-Mercedes Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari McLaren-Mercedes

Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul Istanbul

29 31

Race Guide

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP no

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Driver Sebastian Vettel Lewis Hamilton Jenson Button Mark Webber Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa Vitaly Petrov Nick Heidfeld Nico Rosberg Kamui Kobayashi Michael Schumacher Sébastien Buemi Adrian Sutil Paul di Resta Jaime Alguersuari Jarno Trulli Rubens Barrichello Jérôme D’Ambrosio Heikki Kovalainen Timo Glock Sergio Perez Mendoza Pastor Maldonado Vitantonio Liuzzi Narain Karthikeyan

Nat DEU GBR GBR AUS ESP BRA RUS DEU DEU JPN DEU SUI DEU GBR ESP ITA BRA BEL FIN DEU MEX VEN ITA IND

Car Red Bull McLaren McLaren Red Bull Ferrari Ferrari Renault Renault Mercedes Sauber Mercedes Toro Rosso Force India Force India Toro Rosso Lotus Williams Virgin Lotus Virgin Sauber Williams HRT HRT

Points 68 47 38 37 26 24 17 15 10 7 6 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

WORLD CONSTUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

32

Constructor Red Bull Racing Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Lotus Renault GP Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team Sauber F1 Team Scuderia Toro Rosso Force India F1 Team Team Lotus AT&T Williams Marussia Virgin Racing HRT F1 Team

Engine Renault Mercedes Ferrari Renault Mercedes Ferrari Ferrari Mercedes Renault Cosworth Cosworth Cosworth

Points 105 85 50 32 16 7 4 4 0 0 0 0

Round 2 – Malaysia

23 33

Race Guide

32

Round 4 – Turkey

PAST CHAMPIONS Year Driver Nat Constructor Wins Poles Points 2010 Sebastian Vettel GER Red Bull 5 10 256 2009 Jenson Button GBR Brawn 6 4 95 2008 Lewis Hamilton GBR McLaren 5 7 98 2007 Kimi Räikkönen FIN Ferrari 6 3 110 2006 Fernando Alonso ESP Renault 7 6 134 2005 Fernando Alonso ESP Renault 7 6 133 2004 Michael Schumacher GER Ferrari 13 8 148 2003 Michael Schumacher GER Ferrari 6 5 93 2002 Michael Schumacher GER Ferrari 11 7 144 2001 Michael Schumacher GER Ferrari 9 11 123 2000 Michael Schumacher GER Ferrari 9 9 108 1999 Mika Häkkinen FIN McLaren 5 11 76 1998 Mika Häkkinen FIN McLaren 8 9 100 1997 Jacques Villeneuve CAN Williams 7 10 81 1996 Damon Hill GBR Williams 8 9 97 1995 Michael Schumacher GER Benetton 9 4 102 1994 Michael Schumacher GER Benetton 8 6 92 1993 Alain Prost FRA Williams 7 13 99 1992 Nigel Mansell GBR Williams 9 14 108 1991 Ayrton Senna BRA McLaren 7 8 96 1990 Ayrton Senna BRA McLaren 6 10 78 1989 Alain Prost FRA McLaren 4 2 76 1988 Ayrton Senna BRA McLaren 8 13 90 1987 Nelson Piquet BRA Williams 3 4 73 1986 Alain Prost FRA McLaren 4 1 72 1985 Alain Prost FRA McLaren 5 2 73 1984 Niki Lauda AUT McLaren 5 0 72 1983 Nelson Piquet BRA Brabham 3 1 59 1982 Keke Rosberg FIN Williams 1 1 44 1981 Nelson Piquet BRA Brabham 3 4 50

33 35

Race Guide A large crowd was in attendance to see Lewis Hamilton and McLaren defeat Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing in the Chinese Grand Prix

36

Round 4 –2 Turkey Round – Malaysia

23 37

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