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2005 Turkey GP
Team Quotes - Sunday 21 August
Jean Todt: It was a race to forget. For the third time this season, we head for home having failed to score any points. Chronic lack of grip, which we have suffered from since the start of the season, prevented us from running competitively right from the start of this weekend. This afternoon, we saw how our competitors' times improved step by step as the track got more rubber on it, while ours got worse. Rubens did what he could, while it was a shame to see Michael pitting with a damaged car having been run into by a lapped car. We worked on his car to send him back out on track to get him a better start position for qualifying in Monza. In the past years, we have developed the nice tradition of winning races on a new track, but today that run has come to an end. I am very disappointed, especially for the large number of Ferrari fans we could see in the grandstands at this great facility. We must get back to work immediately, along with our partner Bridgestone, to analyse the situation. Our aim is to be as well prepared as possible for the race in Monza and those that follow in what has turned out to be a particularly tough season.
Ross Brawn: This was an extremely disappointing race. Michael's accident looked a bit unnecessary, given that Webber was one lap down. We repaired the car to get back on track to get the best possible qualifying position for Monza. Rubens had a fairly dull race with not much to say about it. His car was okay, apart from a bit too much understeer. He just lacked pace.
BAR Honda's Jenson Button finished in the points for the 5th successive race in Turkey today, bringing his BAR Honda 007 home in 5th position and the team closer to 6th place in the Championship. Although Takuma finished just outside the points in 9th place, credit must go to both drivers for two gutsy race performances which certainly helped to make up for the disappointment of yesterday's qualifying.
After lining up in frustrating grid slots of 13th and 20th respectively, both drivers were on fire from the off, making up places lap after lap until they were lying 3rd and 7th by their first pitstops. In a perfectly executed two-stop strategy, Jenson extracted the maximum from the car and his racecraft to deliver a performance he later declared as one of his best this season. It was however tinged with some disappointment at the thought of what he might have achieved with a higher-placed grid slot.
The team split the two drivers' strategies and brought Takuma in at the end of the parade lap, refuelling him for a single stop on lap 29. He drove a faultless race but despite hunting down Christian Klien to the finish he was not quite able to secure a point.
Gil de Ferran: "This was the best race of the year so far for our team. Both Jenson and Takuma drove faultlessly, aggressively and very fast indeed. Our engineers' inventive strategy paid good dividends, especially in the case of Taku. The pitstops were executed very well and, last but far from least, Honda once again built an engine that remained strong throughout the race. One can't help wondering what could have happened had we started further up the grid!"
Shuhei Nakamoto: "That was a very exciting race - watching both drivers fight through the field was excellent! We are clearly closer to the front here than we have been in the past. If we continue our development and qualify well in the next races we can maintain our challenge for a race win this year."
The Mild Seven Renault F1 Team took strong second and fourth place finishes this afternoon with Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella in the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix. This meant the team scored thirteen points, and retains its lead in the Constructors' Championship by nine points. Fernando Alonso's second place finish means he loses just two points to rival Kimi Raikkonen in the drivers' championship, and he now holds a 24 point lead.
Fernando Alonso started strongly from third position and crossed the line in this position at the end of lap one. He was able to overtake team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella on lap two, and then concentrated on completing a consistent, competitive two-stop race. He was running in third position behind the two McLarens five laps from the end, when a collision for Juan Pablo Montoya, followed by an off-track excursion, meant he was able to take second position on the penultimate lap.
Giancarlo Fisichella started strongly from second position to take the lead on lap one. However, he struggled to get his tyres up to temperature in the opening laps, and ran wide on the exit of Turn 10 costing him speed down the back straight, and one position to Kimi Raikkonen. He was subsequently passed by his team-mate on the next lap, and then concentrated on running a similar two-stop strategy to his team-mate. He was delayed by a fuel rig problem at the opening stop, but made a strong recovery from ninth position to take fourth place at the flag.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director: This was a strong result for the team after a difficult afternoon. McLaren were very competitive today, as we expected, so we tried something different in qualifying to get to the front of the field. It worked well, and both Fernando and Fisico drove great races Fernando was in the right position to take advantage of Montoya's mistake, and Giancarlo recovered well after problems at his pit-stop. Our reliability was perfect, and although the gaps are a little smaller after today, we are still leading both championships. But we know we need to find more speed as well.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: This was a tough race for us today, particularly as McLaren once again showed a very impressive level of performance. We had anticipated this yesterday after practice, and it led us to adopt early first stops in order to overcome the disadvantage of our poor starting slots in qualifying. In spite of some problems with our pit-stops, we managed to get the results we needed. Both drivers did a superb job Fernando drove his usual aggressive, consistent race and Giancarlo recovered exceptionally well from his problems at the first pit-stop. The next race brings us a very different challenge at Monza, where we hope to run competitively and we will begin preparations with both race drivers during testing this week.
It was an unfortunate first Turkish Grand Prix for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team as neither of the team's drivers saw the chequered flag. Both Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld retired from the race after they twice suffered right rear tyre incidents. The team and Michelin are now investigating to ascertain what the cause was.
Sam Michael (Technical Director, WilliamsF1): It is disappointing that we had to retire both cars from the race. However, after the two rear tyre incidents on each car, we had no choice. It is too early to speculate what the cause is but we are looking into it now with our tyre partner, Michelin.
Mario Theissen (BMW Motorsport Director): After a good qualifying session, it is obviously disappointing both cars failed to finish the race. Both were retired and we will now investigate the reason why with Michelin. As disappointing as the retirements are for the team, I must say that the circuit is excellent so the Turkish Grand Prix deserves its place on the Formula One calendar.
Team McLaren Mercedes drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya finished today's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in first and third positions. Both drivers were on two stop strategies for the 58-lap race. Kimi came in for fuel on laps 22 (10.0 seconds) and 45 (6.2 seconds), whilst Juan Pablo pitted on laps 21 (7.9 seconds) and 41 (7.7 seconds). Juan Pablo posted the fastest lap of the race on lap 39 with 1:24.770. Kimi remains second in the Drivers' World Championship with 71 points and Juan Pablo moved to fourth with 40 points. Team McLaren Mercedes also remains second in the Constructors' rankings with 121 points.
Ron Dennis: "A very good race for the team and an excellent result for Kimi who drove a consistent and disciplined race. He made sure that he didn't get involved in any incidents. Our strategy proved to be superior, and two podium places are a good reward for the team's efforts. Regarding Juan Pablo's incident it should be noted that somebody who has been lapped already twice should make certain that he leaves enough room. The damage caused by the accident and Juan Pablo's off at Turn eight prevented us from achieving a one-two. We are looking forward to the rest of the season"
Norbert Haug: "Congratulations to Kimi on a convincing victory and an outstanding performance. We saw a super race at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix and a good speed of our package on this technically demanding circuit. Unfortunately a twice lapped competitor who ran into the back of Juan Pablo certainly not on purpose prevented the team from scoring a 1-2 victory today. However we are pleased with the performance of both Kimi and Juan Pablo and the car on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar. We are now looking forward to the rest of the season and will work hard to maintain our competitiveness."
Sauber driver Jacques Villeneuve finished 11th in today's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul, but unfortunately Felipe retired on lap 28 with an engine problem.
Willy Rampf (Technical Director): "This was a disappointing result when you think what Felipe might have achieved without that first-lap crash. After he rejoined the race we were happy with his car's performance and overall we could have had a very competitive race, but then he encountered a problem in the engine and had to stop. Jacques started far back after his misfortune yesterday and lost a lot of time initially behind slower cars. Once he overtook them and could drive at his own pace it was good, but by then he was too far back to challenge for points. We are confident of a better result at Monza."
David Coulthard and Christian Klien finished the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in seventh and eighth position today to collect more FIA Championship points for both themselves and the team. After an impressive start from the grid, which saw David move up four places through the field and Christian three, both drivers delivered determined performances aboard their RB1s. While five F1 drivers retired from the demanding 58-lap race, the Red Bull Racing duo maintained competitive pace and delivered a result that ensured the team maintained its sixth position in the FIA Constructors' Championship.
Christian Horner, Sporting Director: After the penalty of having to go out to qualify first and second here, to finish the weekend in seventh and eighth is pretty good. It also means we maintain sixth place in the Constructors' Championship which is great, especially at this stage in the season, and we'll certainly be fighting very hard in the next few races to stay there. The strategic team, the engineers and the mechanics all did an excellent job today. The pit stops were fast and it was a strong, disciplined performance. The drivers did a superb job and I'm pleased with the result.
Gόnther Steiner, Technical Director: Our strategy worked well. Realistically we didn't come here expecting very much after our Hungarian result and difficult qualifying positions. Therefore, to come away with three points is pretty good. The guys who worked on the strategy did a great job and staying out for a long time on the first stint worked well for us. That was definitely a major factor in the final result, but I must also say well done to the drivers who didn't stop pushing for a second. The fact that there were no significant problems with the car during the race is also very encouraging.
Simon Corbyn, Head of Cosworth F1 Race Engineering: Cosworth delivered a solid performance in Istanbul and had no engine problems throughout the weekend, culminating in another double points scoring finish for Red Bull Racing. Christian in particular did a great job of maximising available engine performance to defend his position. New TJ2005 Series 12 engines will be installed on schedule for the Monza GP.
Panasonic Toyota Racing will leave Istanbul with yet more points after Jarno Trulli took a well earned 6th place at today's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix. On a warm but cloudy day at the Istanbul Park, Jarno battled hard throughout the race on his way to three world championship points. Ralf Schumacher had a dramatic day after the most unfortunate of starts. The German was pushed wide as he tried to avoid an incident at the first corner and he then ran over debris as he rejoined the circuit. He nonetheless managed to work his way up from the back of the field to an eventual 12th place. The result consolidates Toyota's 4th place in the constructors' championship with a total of 71 points.
Jarno Trulli has secured another points finish after taking the flag in 6th place at today's first ever Turkish Grand Prix. The three points take him to 5th in the world championship with 39 points.
Ralf Schumacher had a dramatic start to his Turkish Grand Prix when he was pushed off the circuit at the first corner. But he still managed to claw his way through the field to an eventual 12th place.
It was a hard day's work for the whole Panasonic Toyota Racing team, but the three points earned by Jarno Trulli's three points strengthen the team's grip on 4th place in the constructors' championship.
Tsutomu Tomita Team Principal: "We were able to bring home both cars with no technical problems, but we were short of outright race pace. Our lap times were reasonable but a long way behind the top teams. So with the performance we had today, we couldn't really expect a lot more. Both drivers did well and pushed as hard as the car would let them go. Still, we got three points from Jarno and the teams we are fighting with in the constructors' championship didn't pick up any points, so that's good news. But I hope we can make more steps forward for the remaining races of the season."
Jordan Grand Prix drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro, had very good starts at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix and managed to overtake a few cars. After his first pit stop, Monteiro experienced some gearbox issues, which prevented him from pushing his car to a faster pace and allowed Karthikeyan to pass him after the second stop. Monteiro had an unavoidable incident with Montoya at the end of the race, but nevertheless, he managed to finish in 15th position, his impressive 14th consecutive finish. Both drivers had the same pit-stop strategy, which saw them stop three times for fuel on the way to the finish and took a degree of satisfaction from their persistent performances in todays race.
Dominic Harlow: We are very pleased that both cars have finished again. Tiago had his 14th consecutive finish, which is fantastic for a rookie. Narain did a great race having had so little running on a new circuit, having done only less than half a race distance here before. It is a very useful experience for both drivers and we will now go to Monza next week to test the EJ15B.
The inaugural Grand Prix of Turkey turned out to be an event of markedly differing fortunes for Minardi F1 Team drivers Robert Doornbos and Christijan Albers. Doornbos scored his best result in the three races he has driven for the Faenza squad, finishing in an excellent 13th position, and ahead of both Jordan entries. The only worrying moment came when his car stalled leaving the pits at the end of the first fuel stop, but quick work by the Minardi crew got Doornbos back on track again quickly. As the event progressed, it became clear the team's hard tyre-heavy fuel strategy, although compromising the qualifying performance of both drivers, was the correct one for the race. Albers' race pace would undoubtedly have seen him finish strongly as well, but a number of problems forced him to make two unscheduled pit stops. When it became clear there was no chance of improving his position in the final race classification, the team decided to retire the car.
Paul Stoddart, Team Principal, Minardi Cosworth: We knew we had a good strategy for the weekend, which we proved today, and Robert put in a gutsy drive to finish 13th in the race. Sadly, Christijan suffered a multitude of problems, ranging from a fuel rig failure to gear selection difficulties; however, he almost reached the chequered flag, and put in a sterling performance in the process. It's quite clear that the Minardi Cosworth PS05 is improving race by race, albeit with a few reliability issues still to be ironed out.
This afternoon's 58-lap inaugural Turkish Grand Prix gave the enthusiastic crowds an incident filled race to enjoy but a lack of points for the Bridgestone teams leaves them with a tough end of season ahead. Michael Schumacher, who started from 19th on the grid, had climbed up through the runners to the mid field but an incident with Mark Webber left him with a damaged car. With no chance of points, the Ferrari team concentrated on getting him back on track to improve his position for the start of qualifying in Italy in two weeks time. Teammate Rubens Barrichello also failed to take any points after finishing tenth and he drops a place in the drivers' standings as a result. Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, however, retain their respective third place positions in the standings. The Formula One paddock now moves on to Monza, a home race for two of Bridgestone's three teams.
Hisao Suganuma Technical Manager Bridgestone Motorsport: "A disappointing weekend for the Bridgestone teams considering we had a good race in Hungary three weeks ago. Michael had steadily worked his way up through the field but his racing incident ruined his chances so he simply tried to make the best of going out again. Rubens had a consistent race but was caught mid field and it was good see Robert Doornbos have a good run. From a tyre performance point of view, we have plenty of data on this new circuit for the future. It was good to see we had no specific tyre problems but we shall be looking to improve our level of grip on these types of circuits."
Ross Brawn Technical Director Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: "A very disappointing race today. Michael's accident looked a bit unnecessary given that Webber was a lap down. We repaired his car so he could get back on track in order to get the best possible qualifying position for Monza. Rubens had an uneventful race. His car was okay, with the exception of a bit of oversteer. He just lacked pace."
Kimi Raikkonen has entered the record books as the first man to win a Formula One grand prix in Turkey. The Finn was initially beaten away from pole position by Giancarlo Fisichella, but he recovered first place before the lap was over and went on to score a dominant victory.
For much of the afternoon it looked as though Raikkonen would spearhead a McLaren 1-2. His team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya swept past the Renaults of world championship leader Fernando Alonso and Fisichella who had swapped places on lap two after the first round of refuelling stops. The Colombian ran a safe second until three laps from the end, when backmarker Tiago Monteiro ran into him and caused him to spin. Montoya rejoined just ahead of Alonso, but he then ran wide as a result of a damaged diffuser and the Spaniard snatched second place, 18.6s behind the winner.
"From my point of view, I knew the McLarens were faster so I concentrated on doing a race with no mistakes, and driving consistently: the car was reliable again, and I had some luck with Montoya's problems as well."
Fisichella took fourth after holding off a late challenge from Jenson Button, who made good progress through the field after a qualifying error left him 13th on the grid. Michelin drivers took a clean sweep of the top nine positions, with Jarno Trulli taking sixth ahead of Red Bull team-mates David Coulthard and Christian Klien, who capitalised on good starts, and Takuma Sato. Condemned to the back of the grid for impeding rival Mark Webber during qualifying, the Japanese driver started from the pits after pausing for a pre-race fuel top-up. He made strong progress, however, and set some impressive lap times during the race's closing stages.
Jacques Villeneuve also started well down after spinning off during qualifying. The former world champion finished as best of the remaining Michelin runners, in 11th place. Ralf Schumacher came in 12th after being forced wide at the first corner and dropping to the tail of the field.
Villeneuve's team-mate Felipe Massa pitted for a new front wing at the end of the opening lap, after being involved in the same incident that delayed Schumacher. He was eventually forced to retire when his engine began to lose power. Williams team-mates Webber and Nick Heidfeld both withdrew after suffering a succession of incidents on right-rear tyres. No other Michelin team was affected and technicians from both companies will be analysing data to determine the cause.
Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director: "That was an absolutely magnificent performance by Kimi Raikkonen the sight of him running side by side with the Renaults on the opening lap is one that will live with me for a very long time.
"From Michelin's perspective, everything has run absolutely according to plan from the start of the weekend to the moment the chequered flag dropped. This morning's rain shower accurately predicted by our meteorological observers cleaned up the track a little bit, but it didn't have any significant effect. Wear rates were perhaps a little bit higher than yesterday, but it was nothing to cause us any worries. This victory our 88th in F1 was the crowning moment of yet another successful grand prix weekend."
Nick Shorrock, Director of Michelin F1 activities: "During the course of the race we had an incident with the right -rear tyres on both BMW WilliamsF1 Team cars and we are going to analyse fully the cause of these incidents in conjunction with BMW WilliamsF1 Team. We are obviously going to check with all of our other partners but to date this is a problem that we have seen only on the BMW WilliamsF1 Team cars. We are obviously very disappointed for BMW WilliamsF1 Team here at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix."
Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula One, Team McLaren Mercedes: "It's always pleasing to win and we had two cars on the podium, although it would obviously have been nice to obtain a 1-2. This circuit gave the tyre manufacturers a very difficult job, because it is extremely demanding with many challenging corners. It required a great deal of preparation work. I'd like to thank Michelin for doing a great job, because they gave us tyres that were consistent and extremely competitive."
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