2008 TURKISH GRAND PRIX ISTANBUL 09 MAY
FREE PRACTICE
Free practice for Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix kicked off
in cloudy conditions at Istanbul Park today. The air and track
temperatures peaked at 14 and 20 degrees respectively, making
today's running the coldest at a Grand Prix so far this year.
The Honda Racing F1 Team worked through a detailed set-up
programme with both RA108 cars, honing the aerodynamic package
to the demands of the 5.338km track. They ran reliably throughout
the two 1.5-hour sessions, providing Jenson Button and Rubens
Barrichello with a good baseline from which to progress through
the remainder of the race weekend.
In session one, the cars finished comfortably inside the
top 10. Jenson completed 12 laps to achieve the fifth fastest
time, while Rubens ran for 11 laps to end the session 0.1s
slower than his team-mate in eighth place.
Some light rain over the lunchtime break resulted in damp
conditions at the start of session two, but a dry line quickly
appeared and the drivers were able to continue their preparations.
Jenson completed 28 laps with his best time of 1:28.826s placing
him 11th overall, while Rubens finished 15th on the timesheets
after 22 laps, with a best time of 1:29.024s.
RESULTS
Drivers Car No. Chassis No. Free Practice 1 Free Practice
2
Jenson Button 16 RA108-02 12 laps 01:28.919 P5 28 laps 01:28.826
P11
Rubens Barrichello 17 RA108-04 11 laps 01:29.068 P8 22 laps
01:29.024 P15
Weather Cool and overcast
Temperatures Air: 13-14°C Track: 19-21°C
JENSON BUTTON
Q. How is your RA108 performing around Istanbul Park?
A. "We made a lot of changes to the car after this morning
when I was struggling with a lack of grip on initial turn
in which you really need around here. This afternoon was much
better right from the start of the session. We tried a lot
of different things on the set-up and I'm confident that we
know which direction to take for the rest of the weekend."
Q. Did the track conditions today work in your favour?
A. "It was a bit damp when we first went out this afternoon
but from then on the track was fine. This circuit is very
tough without traction control and you could see that a lot
of people were making mistakes but that does make it more
fun to watch and drive. I was certainly enjoying it out there!
The car is working better on the smoother asphalt here and
we have made some changes to help with the ride quality, so
for me the car feels better than in Barcelona."
RUBENS BARRICHELLO
Q. What progress have you made with the RA108 today?
A. "The car was nicely balanced in the morning and we
were pleased with our progress. However we made a mechanical
change over lunch which changed the balance. It was too big
a change to go back in the time available so we have some
work to do overnight to understand what has changed. We should
be able to get the car back to how it felt this morning, then
I believe we have a good chance of getting through to Q3 tomorrow."
Q. It's a big weekend for you as you reach 257 Grands Prix
here. How do you feel?
A. "Well most importantly, when I'm in the car, it's
a normal weekend for me. It's fantastic to have the celebrations
here, with all my family and the team, but on the track nothing
changes. When I began my career back in 1993, I never thought
that I would break this record, but now it really means a
great deal to me."
STEVE CLARK
Head of Race & Test Engineering
Q. Did the two sessions run smoothly for the team?
A. "The sessions ran without any incident on either car
which is always good. The damp track at the start of the morning,
the rain for the start of the second session and then the
red flag caused by Webber's crash of course meant that we
could not stick to the original plan. This is the same for
everyone and something we just had to deal with."
Q. What are your expectations for the rest of the weekend?
A. "With the disrupted sessions it is more difficult
than usual to gauge our speed relative to our competitors.
However here we have the front wheel covers, which give a
tangible performance gain, so getting one or both cars to
a top ten qualifying position and from there a points finish
ought to be realistic targets."
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