The race in Hungary was run under changing conditions and we weren't able to see if Ferrari would dominate as they
did in Germany. The weather is expected to be warm and sunny in Turkey and so we should be able to see whether Ferrari can
dominate again or will it be one of the Michelin runners this time.
Last year Ferrari struggled at this track, this year with
far better tyres things could be different but expect a close race!.
Honda did finally win a race in Hungary but really need to
win races under 'normal' conditions and that won't happen soon.
This will be the second year a Formula 1 race is run at the
Herman Tilke designed track in Istanbul (track
layout). The circuit offers a number of slow corners connected by a few short
straights. The circuit which runs in a counter-clockwise direction also offers a number of elevation changes. Top speed is expected
to reach 325 km/H on the back straight just before the two corners that lead into the main straight. The first corner is a 90
degree left hander and that will make for an interesting start however as with all modern circuits, there are plenty of run-off
areas and cars should go through without too many incidents.
Cars are expected to run with a high downforce configuration,
tyre wear isn't high but turn 8 puts a lot of stress on the right front. With temperatures expected to reach the mid
30's under clear skies, track temperatures could reach the mid 50's making it another tough race on cars and drivers.
All the teams
took a 3 week break from on-track testing.
Teams and Drivers to watch:
Renault's lead in both Championships continues to shrink. They could have extended the lead had Alonso not retired but in the end
the gap got smaller after Hungary. The banning of the mass damper system will continue to affect the team but given that they
haven't used it in the last 2 races, you'd expect them to have a work around to the problem. They will be relying on Michelin to
deliver a strong tyre. If that happens then they will have a chance. Fernando Alonso had a chance to win in Hungary but his car
failed him. This was his first non-finish in 23 races having finished in every race since France 2005. He will put in a good
performance and if the package is right he can win. Giancarlo Fisichella was disappointing in Hungary, he struggled in the wet
when compared to his team-mate and ended up spinning off and damaging his car. Points will be likley in Turkey.
Ferrari struggled in the wet in Hungary and it was only when the track started to dry that they looked strong. The tyres were
obviously a big factor as they will be again this weekend. Michael Schumacher was lucky to get a point from Hungary after Kubica
was disqualified. His racing towards the end of the race wasn't very tidy and ended up damaging his steering leading to his
retirement. He is now 10 points
behind Fernando Alonso and he will be determined to close the gap further and that is possible. Like Alonso, if he has the right
package then a win is possible. Felipe Massa struggled in Hungary and will be trying to bounce back in Turkey. Points likely.
McLaren
looked strong in qualifying in Hungary but they did struggle a bit in the wet. Still de la Rosa finished second. They nearly
finished 1-2 here last year and so they could challenge both Ferrari and Renault. Kimi Raikkonen could win this race but it is
unlikely. A podium is likely though. Pedro de la Rosa would have gotten a boost from his second place result in Hungary. He
needs to impress if he is to secure a race drive with a team next year.
Honda won in Hungary but don't expect them to win again this weekend. They will be lucky if they manage a car on the podium. They
have major reliability problems and expect that to appear again this weekend! Jenson Button got his badly needed win but he will
want to win a race under normal conditions. Points possible. Rubens Barrichello also has a good chance of finishing in the
points.
Toyota
like Honda are suffering from reliability problems. They need to get that sorted as they are losing important points because of
that. Ralf Schumacher finished 6th in Hungary. If his car lasts he should be able to score some points. Trulli was unlucky to
retire in Hungary due to an engine failure. He was in a good position to score some good points. If his car lasts he should score
some points.
BMW Sauber are tied on points with Toyota following the podium finish by Nick Heidfeld. They would have been
ahead of Toyota had Kubica not been disqualified! Under normal conditions BMW Sauber can't score podiums and will struggle to
score points this weekend. Nick Heidfeld did well to finish on the podium. A repeat here is unlikely. Robert Kubica who replaces Jacques Villeneuve
did well and finished 7th before being disqualified. He needs to learn this track so expect him to struggle. Points unlikely!.
Red Bul
are now 6 points ahead of Williams thanks to a good performance by David Coulthard in Hungary. A point or two may be possible in
Turkey but not much more!
Williams had another double retirement in Hungary. One must assume that the only way for them is up
but we've made that assumption in the past. Lets just hope they have a plan to recover in the coming seasons.
Toro Rosso were
unlucky with Liuzzi getting hit by Kimi Raikkonen. Hungary is the kind of race teams like Toro Rosso score points but it wasn't to
be. It will be hard for them to score any points here.
MF1 Racing lost an opportunity to score points in Hungary and that is
unlikely to be repeated while Super Aguri do appear to be fast but they were unreliable. Expect more of the same!
Engine Status
1st Race Engine
2nd Race Engine
Giancarlo Fisichella Jarno Trulli Christian
Klien Pedro de la Rosa Sakon Yamamoto
Felipe Massa Rubens Barrichello
Ralf Schumacher
David Coulthard Nick
Heidfeld Robert Kubica Tiago Monteiro Scott Speed Takuma Sato Christijan Albers Jenson Button
Fernando Alonso
(can opt for a new engine) Kimi Raikkonen (can opt for a new engine) Michael Schumacher (can opt for a new engine) Mark Webber
(can opt for a new engine) Nico Rosberg (can opt for a new engine) Vitantonio Liuzzi (can opt for a new engine)
