Formula 1 Preview - Turkish Grand Prix
07 Jun 2009|2,348 views
McLaren Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton: "I love racing in Turkey: it's a real challenge because you need to attack the lap to get a good time, but you also need to be careful with your tyres - if you push too much, particularly through Turn Eight, then your tyres are going to suffer. It's all about finding the perfect balance in practice and being disciplined in the race so you don't overdo it. I also love the fact that it's a new circuit that has really captured the flavour of some of the older, classic tracks - it's got a bit of everything and is fantastic to drive. Also, as it's anti-clockwise, it gives your neck a bit of a workout - but you just need to make sure you've exercised the left side of your neck a little more than usual before getting in the car."
Heikki Kovalainen: "Turkey is all about Turn Eight - the high-speed, four-apex left-hander. On a good day in qualifying, it's flat-out - and that's a pretty good feeling when you get it right. It's also very important to look after your tyres through Turn Eight - you put a lot of load through the tyres, particularly the fronts, so it's a good idea to look after them during the race. The best place to overtake here is into Turn 12, the corner at the end of the back straight. You can get a good tow and slipstream past - with KERS we should hopefully see some exciting racing."
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica: "The track in Istanbul is totally different to Monaco. It is a very modern race track with a couple of high-speed corners. The most famous high-speed corner there is the left-hander turn 8. Of course, we hope to perform better in Istanbul than in Monaco."
Nick Heidfeld: "I hope our dismal performance in Monaco proves to be a glitch and that it was down to that particular circuit being unsuitable for our car. After all, there were signs of a forward trend at the previous race in Spain, and the next update is ready for Istanbul - also including a double diffuser. The Istanbul circuit has some extremely good sections, particularly turn 8, of course, which is quite a challenge - very long, fast and with several apexes. For the long straight with the right-hand kink you need a good top speed."
Williams-Toyota
Nico Rosberg: "Turkey is usually a good track for us and we should be able to score points there. I like the circuit, and it's a completely different proposition to where we've just come from. There are definitely some good overtaking opportunities around the lap as the track stretches to about 20m wide at one point and there are lots of large braking zones."
Kazuki Nakajima: "Turkey is one of the few tracks we race on in an anti-clockwise direction so that puts a lot of pressure on our necks. With lateral loads reaching 4.5g, I'll be doing lots of neck work before the race to prepare. I don't have much experience of the track as I was knocked out of last year's race on the first lap, but it's a circuit which tends to suit our car with its mix of long and short straights, several corners for overtaking and then there's turn
eight - a triple apexer where we'll hit speeds of 250km/h. It'll be challenging, but I can't wait to get going."
Toyota
Jarno Trulli: "I'm sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend. We are third in the Constructors' Championship which shows that overall we are in good shape this year and it is important we return to the performance level we had in the first four races. Istanbul is not one of my favourite circuits and I have not had much luck there in the past; but I am determined to change that. Turn 8 is the most challenging part of the track and it's important to get your set-up right for this as you need a balanced car to be really quick. I can't wait to start practice and find out where we are because I am fired up to bounce back this weekend. "
Timo Glock: "I have spent some time at the factory since then to do what I can to help and I can see everyone there is giving everything for the team to succeed. Clearly we want to get back in the points this weekend but really our goals are higher than that and we ultimately want to be fighting for the podium. It's a very close fight at the moment so it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen but certainly we expect a big improvement and I am looking forward to battling at the right end of the grid in Turkey. "
Renault
Fernando Alonso: "Yes, it's a fun circuit with good overtaking opportunities; especially turn 12 at the end of the back straight, which leads into the final complex of low-speed corners. The challenge of Istanbul Park is to find the right balance so that you have a responsive car that works well in the fast and slow sections. We will have new developments for the car over the next few weeks and that should help, but I'm not expecting to jump to the front of the grid in Turkey. However, I still believe that later in the year we can be back fighting for podiums and winning races, just as we did last year."
Nelson Piquet Jr: "I do enjoy driving there as it's quite a varied track with some slow and fast sections. Turn 8 is the high-speed corner that everybody talks about as there's nothing else like it all season. It's a very physical corner which feels like it goes on forever and that makes it tough for the tyres. We will have less aero grip this year, but with slicks tyres I think we will still be able to take it almost flat-out."
Force India
Adrian Sutil: "The main upgrades will now come in Silverstone so we have to be quite realistic about the performance this weekend. We have to keep pushing and try to have another strong qualifying that sets us up for the race. I enjoy the track and you can actually overtake in some corners so I hope we can have some good fights and be able to move up the field. I think we're solid midfield contenders now so we have to get to the finish and see where we are."
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It's a very physical track, you get lots of adrenaline when you drive there with the gradient changes and I have had some good results, including a fourth in 2005. We don't have a lot of new development coming through for this race though so it is going to be a tough one but once again we need to keep pushing. I'd love to get into Q2 again but we will know more about where we stand after Friday."
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Heikki Kovalainen: "Turkey is all about Turn Eight - the high-speed, four-apex left-hander. On a good day in qualifying, it's flat-out - and that's a pretty good feeling when you get it right. It's also very important to look after your tyres through Turn Eight - you put a lot of load through the tyres, particularly the fronts, so it's a good idea to look after them during the race. The best place to overtake here is into Turn 12, the corner at the end of the back straight. You can get a good tow and slipstream past - with KERS we should hopefully see some exciting racing."
BMW Sauber
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Nick Heidfeld: "I hope our dismal performance in Monaco proves to be a glitch and that it was down to that particular circuit being unsuitable for our car. After all, there were signs of a forward trend at the previous race in Spain, and the next update is ready for Istanbul - also including a double diffuser. The Istanbul circuit has some extremely good sections, particularly turn 8, of course, which is quite a challenge - very long, fast and with several apexes. For the long straight with the right-hand kink you need a good top speed."
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Nico Rosberg: "Turkey is usually a good track for us and we should be able to score points there. I like the circuit, and it's a completely different proposition to where we've just come from. There are definitely some good overtaking opportunities around the lap as the track stretches to about 20m wide at one point and there are lots of large braking zones."
Kazuki Nakajima: "Turkey is one of the few tracks we race on in an anti-clockwise direction so that puts a lot of pressure on our necks. With lateral loads reaching 4.5g, I'll be doing lots of neck work before the race to prepare. I don't have much experience of the track as I was knocked out of last year's race on the first lap, but it's a circuit which tends to suit our car with its mix of long and short straights, several corners for overtaking and then there's turn
eight - a triple apexer where we'll hit speeds of 250km/h. It'll be challenging, but I can't wait to get going."
Toyota
Jarno Trulli: "I'm sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend. We are third in the Constructors' Championship which shows that overall we are in good shape this year and it is important we return to the performance level we had in the first four races. Istanbul is not one of my favourite circuits and I have not had much luck there in the past; but I am determined to change that. Turn 8 is the most challenging part of the track and it's important to get your set-up right for this as you need a balanced car to be really quick. I can't wait to start practice and find out where we are because I am fired up to bounce back this weekend. "
Timo Glock: "I have spent some time at the factory since then to do what I can to help and I can see everyone there is giving everything for the team to succeed. Clearly we want to get back in the points this weekend but really our goals are higher than that and we ultimately want to be fighting for the podium. It's a very close fight at the moment so it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen but certainly we expect a big improvement and I am looking forward to battling at the right end of the grid in Turkey. "
Renault
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Nelson Piquet Jr: "I do enjoy driving there as it's quite a varied track with some slow and fast sections. Turn 8 is the high-speed corner that everybody talks about as there's nothing else like it all season. It's a very physical corner which feels like it goes on forever and that makes it tough for the tyres. We will have less aero grip this year, but with slicks tyres I think we will still be able to take it almost flat-out."
Force India
Adrian Sutil: "The main upgrades will now come in Silverstone so we have to be quite realistic about the performance this weekend. We have to keep pushing and try to have another strong qualifying that sets us up for the race. I enjoy the track and you can actually overtake in some corners so I hope we can have some good fights and be able to move up the field. I think we're solid midfield contenders now so we have to get to the finish and see where we are."
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It's a very physical track, you get lots of adrenaline when you drive there with the gradient changes and I have had some good results, including a fourth in 2005. We don't have a lot of new development coming through for this race though so it is going to be a tough one but once again we need to keep pushing. I'd love to get into Q2 again but we will know more about where we stand after Friday."
McLaren Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton: "I love racing in Turkey: it's a real challenge because you need to attack the lap to get a good time, but you also need to be careful with your tyres - if you push too much, particularly through Turn Eight, then your tyres are going to suffer. It's all about finding the perfect balance in practice and being disciplined in the race so you don't overdo it. I also love the fact that it's a new circuit that has really captured the flavour of some of the older, classic tracks - it's got a bit of everything and is fantastic to drive. Also, as it's anti-clockwise, it gives your neck a bit of a workout - but you just need to make sure you've exercised the left side of your neck a little more than usual before getting in the car."
Heikki Kovalainen: "Turkey is all about Turn Eight - the high-speed, four-apex left-hander. On a good day in qualifying, it's flat-out - and that's a pretty good feeling when you get it right. It's also very important to look after your tyres through Turn Eight - you put a lot of load through the tyres, particularly the fronts, so it's a good idea to look after them during the race. The best place to overtake here is into Turn 12, the corner at the end of the back straight. You can get a good tow and slipstream past - with KERS we should hopefully see some exciting racing."
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica: "The track in Istanbul is totally different to Monaco. It is a very modern race track with a couple of high-speed corners. The most famous high-speed corner there is the left-hander turn 8. Of course, we hope to perform better in Istanbul than in Monaco."
Nick Heidfeld: "I hope our dismal performance in Monaco proves to be a glitch and that it was down to that particular circuit being unsuitable for our car. After all, there were signs of a forward trend at the previous race in Spain, and the next update is ready for Istanbul - also including a double diffuser. The Istanbul circuit has some extremely good sections, particularly turn 8, of course, which is quite a challenge - very long, fast and with several apexes. For the long straight with the right-hand kink you need a good top speed."
Williams-Toyota
Nico Rosberg: "Turkey is usually a good track for us and we should be able to score points there. I like the circuit, and it's a completely different proposition to where we've just come from. There are definitely some good overtaking opportunities around the lap as the track stretches to about 20m wide at one point and there are lots of large braking zones."
Kazuki Nakajima: "Turkey is one of the few tracks we race on in an anti-clockwise direction so that puts a lot of pressure on our necks. With lateral loads reaching 4.5g, I'll be doing lots of neck work before the race to prepare. I don't have much experience of the track as I was knocked out of last year's race on the first lap, but it's a circuit which tends to suit our car with its mix of long and short straights, several corners for overtaking and then there's turn
eight - a triple apexer where we'll hit speeds of 250km/h. It'll be challenging, but I can't wait to get going."
Toyota
Jarno Trulli: "I'm sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend. We are third in the Constructors' Championship which shows that overall we are in good shape this year and it is important we return to the performance level we had in the first four races. Istanbul is not one of my favourite circuits and I have not had much luck there in the past; but I am determined to change that. Turn 8 is the most challenging part of the track and it's important to get your set-up right for this as you need a balanced car to be really quick. I can't wait to start practice and find out where we are because I am fired up to bounce back this weekend. "
Timo Glock: "I have spent some time at the factory since then to do what I can to help and I can see everyone there is giving everything for the team to succeed. Clearly we want to get back in the points this weekend but really our goals are higher than that and we ultimately want to be fighting for the podium. It's a very close fight at the moment so it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen but certainly we expect a big improvement and I am looking forward to battling at the right end of the grid in Turkey. "
Renault
Fernando Alonso: "Yes, it's a fun circuit with good overtaking opportunities; especially turn 12 at the end of the back straight, which leads into the final complex of low-speed corners. The challenge of Istanbul Park is to find the right balance so that you have a responsive car that works well in the fast and slow sections. We will have new developments for the car over the next few weeks and that should help, but I'm not expecting to jump to the front of the grid in Turkey. However, I still believe that later in the year we can be back fighting for podiums and winning races, just as we did last year."
Nelson Piquet Jr: "I do enjoy driving there as it's quite a varied track with some slow and fast sections. Turn 8 is the high-speed corner that everybody talks about as there's nothing else like it all season. It's a very physical corner which feels like it goes on forever and that makes it tough for the tyres. We will have less aero grip this year, but with slicks tyres I think we will still be able to take it almost flat-out."
Force India
Adrian Sutil: "The main upgrades will now come in Silverstone so we have to be quite realistic about the performance this weekend. We have to keep pushing and try to have another strong qualifying that sets us up for the race. I enjoy the track and you can actually overtake in some corners so I hope we can have some good fights and be able to move up the field. I think we're solid midfield contenders now so we have to get to the finish and see where we are."
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It's a very physical track, you get lots of adrenaline when you drive there with the gradient changes and I have had some good results, including a fourth in 2005. We don't have a lot of new development coming through for this race though so it is going to be a tough one but once again we need to keep pushing. I'd love to get into Q2 again but we will know more about where we stand after Friday."
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Heikki Kovalainen: "Turkey is all about Turn Eight - the high-speed, four-apex left-hander. On a good day in qualifying, it's flat-out - and that's a pretty good feeling when you get it right. It's also very important to look after your tyres through Turn Eight - you put a lot of load through the tyres, particularly the fronts, so it's a good idea to look after them during the race. The best place to overtake here is into Turn 12, the corner at the end of the back straight. You can get a good tow and slipstream past - with KERS we should hopefully see some exciting racing."
BMW Sauber
![]() |
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Nick Heidfeld: "I hope our dismal performance in Monaco proves to be a glitch and that it was down to that particular circuit being unsuitable for our car. After all, there were signs of a forward trend at the previous race in Spain, and the next update is ready for Istanbul - also including a double diffuser. The Istanbul circuit has some extremely good sections, particularly turn 8, of course, which is quite a challenge - very long, fast and with several apexes. For the long straight with the right-hand kink you need a good top speed."
![]() |
Nico Rosberg: "Turkey is usually a good track for us and we should be able to score points there. I like the circuit, and it's a completely different proposition to where we've just come from. There are definitely some good overtaking opportunities around the lap as the track stretches to about 20m wide at one point and there are lots of large braking zones."
Kazuki Nakajima: "Turkey is one of the few tracks we race on in an anti-clockwise direction so that puts a lot of pressure on our necks. With lateral loads reaching 4.5g, I'll be doing lots of neck work before the race to prepare. I don't have much experience of the track as I was knocked out of last year's race on the first lap, but it's a circuit which tends to suit our car with its mix of long and short straights, several corners for overtaking and then there's turn
eight - a triple apexer where we'll hit speeds of 250km/h. It'll be challenging, but I can't wait to get going."
Toyota
Jarno Trulli: "I'm sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend. We are third in the Constructors' Championship which shows that overall we are in good shape this year and it is important we return to the performance level we had in the first four races. Istanbul is not one of my favourite circuits and I have not had much luck there in the past; but I am determined to change that. Turn 8 is the most challenging part of the track and it's important to get your set-up right for this as you need a balanced car to be really quick. I can't wait to start practice and find out where we are because I am fired up to bounce back this weekend. "
Timo Glock: "I have spent some time at the factory since then to do what I can to help and I can see everyone there is giving everything for the team to succeed. Clearly we want to get back in the points this weekend but really our goals are higher than that and we ultimately want to be fighting for the podium. It's a very close fight at the moment so it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen but certainly we expect a big improvement and I am looking forward to battling at the right end of the grid in Turkey. "
Renault
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Nelson Piquet Jr: "I do enjoy driving there as it's quite a varied track with some slow and fast sections. Turn 8 is the high-speed corner that everybody talks about as there's nothing else like it all season. It's a very physical corner which feels like it goes on forever and that makes it tough for the tyres. We will have less aero grip this year, but with slicks tyres I think we will still be able to take it almost flat-out."
Force India
Adrian Sutil: "The main upgrades will now come in Silverstone so we have to be quite realistic about the performance this weekend. We have to keep pushing and try to have another strong qualifying that sets us up for the race. I enjoy the track and you can actually overtake in some corners so I hope we can have some good fights and be able to move up the field. I think we're solid midfield contenders now so we have to get to the finish and see where we are."
Giancarlo Fisichella: "It's a very physical track, you get lots of adrenaline when you drive there with the gradient changes and I have had some good results, including a fourth in 2005. We don't have a lot of new development coming through for this race though so it is going to be a tough one but once again we need to keep pushing. I'd love to get into Q2 again but we will know more about where we stand after Friday."
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