2009 Turkish GP

About the Turkish GP

Length 5.338 km
Laps 58 (309.356 Km)
Last Year
1. F. Massa
2. L. Hamilton
3. K. Raikkonen
Record Lap J-P. Montoya - 1'24''770 (2005, McLaren)
Record Pole K. Raikkonen - 1'26''506 (2008, Ferrari)
Last Year Pole F. Massa - 1'27''617 (Ferrari)
Previous winners

Year Driver
2008 F. Massa (Ferrari)
2007 F. Massa (Ferrari)
2006 F. Massa (Ferrari)
2005 K. Raikkonen (McLaren)

BMW confirms double diffuser for Turkey

The BMW Sauber team has confirmed it will finally introduce a double-decker diffuser at next week's Turkish Grand Prix.
After struggling for performance at the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, the Hinwil-based squad will run the new diffuser in Istanbul, hoping it will boost its hopes of a stronger result.
BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen admitted the team did not expect such a poor start to the season after scoring its first win last year.
He insisted, however, that the team can cope with the situation and that it will continue to push to get out of it.
"Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix our results are quite sobering. Nobody in the team expected the season to pan out as it has so far," said Theissen.
"After taking a forward step in Spain, we were clearly off the pace in Monaco. To regain our competitiveness we will have to ramp up our development speed significantly. In Istanbul we will have the next step of our development ready and will be using a multistage diffuser for the first time.
"After three successful years, this phase is our first setback. We can deal with it. After all, it was the same team in Munich and Hinwil that ensured our progressive advancement since the BMW Sauber F1 Team was founded. We are all determined to get ourselves back among the front runners again."

Toyota predicts Turkish GP fightback

Toyota team president John Howett says he is expecting the Japanese outfit to fight back at the Turkish Grand Prix following what he labelled as a an unacceptable performance in Monaco.
The team started the season as one of the main rivals to the Brawn squad, but has struggled to make an impression in the last two races.
In Monte Carlo, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock qualified at the bottom of the grid.
But Howett is adamant Toyota will be much stronger in Istanbul, where he reckons the fast corners will suit its car.
"Clearly we want - and expect - to deliver a significantly better performance in Turkey than we did in Monaco, which was unacceptable to us," said Howett.
"We saw in Spain and Monaco that we were not good enough on slow-speed sectors and we have worked tirelessly to understand the reason for this.
"It tends to be influenced by traction and this was magnified by Monaco. We have conducted a straight-line aero test and that will give us the information we need to rapidly develop a solution.
"Turkey is a very different circuit to Monaco and I am very optimistic we will be strong."
Trulli added: "I am hopeful of a strong result this weekend. Monaco was difficult for everyone in the team but that is in the past now and we are looking forward to the next race.
"Monaco is basically a one-off circuit for Formula 1 and the Istanbul track is very different so I'm sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend."

BMW decides against running KERS

BMW Sauber has decided against reintroducing its KERS for the Turkish Grand Prix, ahead of what driver Nick Heidfeld believes is an 'important' weekend for the team.

With the Hinwil-based outfit introducing its double-decker diffuser for the first time at Istanbul as it bids to move on from its disastrous performance in Monaco, the team wants to focus solely on the car improvements rather than get distracted from using KERS again.

BMW has not run KERS since the Bahrain Grand Prix, with the old version of the unit not able to be fitted into the sculpted aerodynamic package introduced in Spain.

A revised unit was expected to be run for the first time in Turkey.
Heidfeld said: "The decision has been made to run without the KERS here. As in Barcelona, we will focus on the new aero package and then we will decide at the next couple of races in the usual way about if we put it on the car or not."

Heidfeld thinks it vital that, on the back of BMW Sauber's difficult weekend in Monaco, the team shows an upturn in form this time out.

"I think it is important to us - similar to the Barcelona weekend," he said.

"Already beforehand we said that it is important to see that our new developments are working, and it is the same here.

"As we all know, there is no testing any more. We have the wind tunnel data, we sometimes have some straight-line testing data, but until we see lap times we cannot really be sure.

"It is important that we see a step forward here, but actually I am quite confident that we will see an improvement. As usual, the question is how much did the others improve. But it is going to be a step forward for us, and we are also going to work on other stuff that is already in the pipeline for the coming races. On top of that, I expect that Monaco was a one-off.

"It is not an excuse because it is not nice to struggle so much in Monaco, but still I believe it was not a representative circuit for us. We should be better here and I guess it will be a similar situation for Toyota."

FP1

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:28.952 24
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:29.263 + 0.311 23
3. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:29.271 + 0.319 26
4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:29.337 + 0.385 17
5. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:29.342 + 0.390 22
6. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:29.371 + 0.419 21
7. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:29.398 + 0.446 24
8. Alonso Renault (B) 1:29.422 + 0.470 24
9. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:29.525 + 0.573 24
10. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:29.590 + 0.638 19
11. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:29.747 + 0.795 20
12. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:29.864 + 0.912 21
13. Glock Toyota (B) 1:29.934 + 0.982 25
14. Piquet Renault (B) 1:30.132 + 1.180 18
15. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:30.176 + 1.224 21
16. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:30.645 + 1.693 22
17. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:30.689 + 1.737 19
18. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:30.729 + 1.777 22
19. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:30.838 + 1.886 24
20. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:30.944 + 1.992 25

FP2

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:28.841 37
2. Alonso Renault (B) 1:28.847 + 0.006 35
3. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:29.056 + 0.215 35
4. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:29.091 + 0.250 37
5. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:29.202 + 0.361 4
6. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:29.207 + 0.366 40
7. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:29.257 + 0.416 40
8. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:29.305 + 0.464 34
9. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:29.383 + 0.542 39
10. Piquet Renault (B) 1:29.401 + 0.560 38
11. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:29.416 + 0.575 37
12. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:29.430 + 0.589 32
13. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:29.435 + 0.594 31
14. Glock Toyota (B) 1:29.518 + 0.677 40
15. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:29.520 + 0.679 33
16. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:29.550 + 0.709 40
17. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:30.081 + 1.240 32
18. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:30.091 + 1.250 37
19. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:30.295 + 1.454 39
20. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:30.629 + 1.788 36

Blaah! Hamilton is out. The MP24 seem to have some serious problems at the moment. My interest in F1 is down and I'm not sure whether I'll spend 3 hours tomorrow watching the race. If no gains have be made with Hamilton comfortably in the top 10 by Valencia then they should write this year off and get started on the MP25.

Qual.

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:27.330 1:27.016 1:28.316
2. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:27.355 1:27.230 1:28.421
3. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) 1:27.371 1:27.418 1:28.579
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:27.466 1:27.416 1:28.613
5. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:27.529 1:27.195 1:28.666
6. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:27.556 1:27.387 1:28.815
7. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:27.508 1:27.349 1:28.858
8. Alonso Renault (B) 1:27.988 1:27.473 1:29.075
9. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:27.517 1:27.418 1:29.191
10. Kubica BMW-Sauber (B) 1:27.788 1:27.455 1:29.357
11. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber (B) 1:27.795 1:27.521
12. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:27.691 1:27.629
13. Glock Toyota (B) 1:28.160 1:27.795
14. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:28.199 1:28.207
15. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:28.278 1:28.391
16. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:28.318
17. Piquet Renault (B) 1:28.582
18. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:28.708
19. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 1:28.717
20. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:28.918

God damn..this season is over for Mclaren..
I dont even have the energy to watch the damn thing..

Vettel success in the race will entirely be dependant on strategy, his team and his car. The Brawns will be flooring it right behind him hungry to take another race home which I very much predict they will.

As for as Hamilton goes I think that he's enjoying his low right now. Given all the pressure he's been on since he entered the F1 circus, it wouldn't surprise me if his life feels a bit more balanced now. He almost won in 2007 and managed to seal the victory in 2009, so he certainly has nothing to be ashamed of if he doesn't depend his championship this year. Therefore this can be seen as a sabbatical year for him to catch a break, reflect back on his career and just mature as a driver. Winning is awesome but comes with a big baggage of stress, pressure and uncertainty.

Here's what Button had to say today:


"It sounds stupid but being at the front there is so much to play for. It is more stressful than being further back on the grid for sure"

It's always the times when you don't win a race that you learn the most. Button have had some miserable years but look how he's driving now, like a champ. My wish is for Hamilton and Vettel to drive for Mclaren next year and Alonso to get dressed in a red suit, with both cars well developed off course. Then we might have F1 return to it's glory while showing next year's newcomers what F1 really is.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The Turkish Grand Prix Istanbul, Turkey;
58 laps;
309.396km;
Weather: Sunny.
Classified: Pos Driver Team Time
1. Button Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 1h26:24.848
2. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) + 6.714
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) + 7.461
4. Trulli Toyota (B) + 27.843
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 31.539
6. Massa Ferrari (B) + 39.996
7. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 46.247
8. Glock Toyota (B) + 46.959
9. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) + 50.246
10. Alonso Renault (B) + 1:02.420
11. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 1:04.327
12. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) + 1:06.376
13. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1:20.454
14. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1 lap
16. Piquet Renault (B) + 1 lap
17. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap
18. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1 lap

Fastest lap: Button, 1:27.579

Not classified/retirements
Driver Team On lap
Barrichello Brawn GP-Mercedes (B) 49
Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) 5

World Championship standings, round 7:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Button 61
2. Barrichello 35
3. Vettel 29
4. Webber 27.5
5. Trulli 19.5
6. Glock 13
7. Rosberg 11.5
8. Massa 11
9. Alonso 11
10. Hamilton 9
11. Raikkonen 9
12. Heidfeld 6
13. Kovalainen 4
14. Buemi 3
15. Kubica 2
16. Bourdais 2

Constructors:
1. Brawn GP-Mercedes 96
2. Red Bull-Renault 56.5
3. Toyota 32.5
4. Ferrari 20
5. McLaren-Mercedes 13
6. Williams-Toyota 11.5
7. Renault 11
8. BMW Sauber 8
9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 5

Snore.

What a disaster. I both from the point of view of the actual on track racing and the championships.
Last year it was actually a good race, and they also dumped Montreal (always a good race).

Just like I anticipated Vettle became the victim of yet another strategy failure, though it fair to hold him accountable for the error he made during the first race that subsequently lead to Button inheriting pole position. Getting out of the car one could clearly see the dismay and anguish in Vettel's face.

Rubbens totally cocked up his own race and further highlights that Button is the better driver. Unless he wants to play second fiddle for the second time in his life, Rubbens better step up his driving before he makes it easier for the team to proclaim his supporting driver. This is his biggest ever opportunity to win a championship; his got the absolute best car, excellent team principle and plenty of experience in his backpack. If he doesn't win a championship this year then he'll never win one as F1 driving doesn't get easier than this. He's certainly reached the peak of his career and I wouldn't be surprised if the chose to put the racing helmet and gloves on the shelf. Bruno Senna and Roman Grosjean are eagerly awaiting either him or Nelson to be dropped.

I haven't really been following this for a while now, so can someone please tell me WHAT THE HELL is going on this season?

What's up with Hamilton's, McLaren's and Ferrari's massive fall from grace? :t-hands:

Still glad to see the Mercedes name associated with a winning team.

One thing is more then clear: This is going to become one of the most boring F1 season ever…can't understand, how they can still sell tickets for such a disastrous event!
Didn't follow any of the races by the way - and as it looks like, I haven't to…

i really enjoyed the race
several exciting maneuvers

Yup, unless it rains I can't see Brawn/Button losing.