Turkish Grand Prix. 9th – 11th May 2008
5th of 18 World Championship races Preview.
The next stop on the world tour will see the Formula One
entourage doing a daily commute between two continents: from
the hotels and events on the European side of the sprawling
city of Istanbul to the race track on the Asian side of the
Bosphorus. At the challenging Istanbul Park circuit, which
opened in 2005, the aim will be to come off as well as possible
in the three-way contest between the top teams. Ferrari had
a clear edge in Barcelona, while the BMW Sauber F1 Team and
McLaren Mercedes were more or less level-pegging. There are
no tests between the race in Barcelona and the Turkish Grand
Prix on 11th May, but all the teams will be lining up with
detail improvements again.
Nick Heidfeld: “I’m looking
forward to the race in Istanbul, particularly to turn 8, the
main feature of the track. It earned its fame in the very
first grand prix because it is so tricky and causes plenty
of spins and action. It’s a very long, very fast corner
with several apexes. Then you need a good top speed for the
long back straight with its right-hand kink. But apart from
the race track, I’m looking forward to Istanbul itself.
This city is one huge international metropolis in a totally
unique location. There’s a lot more to discover there
than our schedule ever allows.”
Robert Kubica: “I don’t have
the best memories of the races in Istanbul Park, as last year
and in 2006 they really didn’t go at all well. Of course
this time I hope my luck will change and I shall have a strong
race. The race track itself is pretty interesting, and in
turn 8 especially we face a lot of g-forces. Istanbul Park
is one of the tracks where you have to find the right balance
between high- and low-speed corners.”
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“Our targets for the Turkish Grand Prix are clear: we
want to consolidate our position among the leaders, where
Ferrari is currently the yardstick. For the fifth race of
the season we will be making detail improvements to the F1.08
again. The layout of this ultra-modern circuit on the Asian
side of Istanbul is a real achievement and presents a true
challenge. The race has been moved from the height of summer
to this earlier date, which should make quite a difference
to the demands on the teams and their material. Last year
we had to contend with air temperatures of 36 degrees on race
day.
“For the Formula One teams and their partners, an
international metropolis like Istanbul is an excellent platform.
For the first time in the 2008 season we have the BMW Sauber
F1 Team Pit Lane Park in tow. It gives fans a chance to grasp
– in the truest sense of the word – what they
can normally only see from a distance. We have significantly
extended the Park again, which now has space to accommodate
even more visitors. Plus it now features new high-tech exhibits
with which visitors are invited to experiment.”
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