This relatively new addition to the Formula One calendar, it staged its first race in 2005, was greeted as an instant classic. Turn Eight, a long, fast left-hander, is adored by drivers who regard it as one of the season's most testing corners. It generates more friction energy than anywhere else on the calendar and can also influence race strategy.

Talking technical

Car dynamics

Average turn angle indicates the average angle of a circuit's corners expressed in degrees. The higher the average turn angle, the more acute the corners in the circuit's configuration and the greater propensity for understeer to compromise lap time. At Istanbul Park, the average turn angle is 1340, against a season average of 1100, ranking it as the circuit with the 3rd highest average turn angle across the Championship. The end of straight (EOS) speed at Istanbul Park was 314kp/h in 2008. Istanbul ranks as having the 3rd fastest EOS speed on the 2009 calendar, and this is one indicator of the wing level typically selected to optimise the downforce/drag ratio. Meanwhile, Turkey has the 5th highest average lap speed of any of the tracks on the calendar.

Pitlane & refuelling strategy

The pitlane length and profile (i.e. corners in the pitlane entry) contribute to the determination of the optimum fuel strategy. The pitlane loss at Istanbul Park is approximately 18.5 seconds, the 13th most penalising pitlane in the Championship. To complete a normalised distance of 5km around Istanbul Park requires 2.49kg of fuel against an average of 2.42kg per 5km across all circuits this season, making the circuit the 5th most demanding track of the year in terms of fuel consumption.

Safety car

Another key contributor to the determination of race strategy is the likelihood of safety car deployments, which are influenced by weather considerations, the availability of clear run-off areas that allow racing to continue while recovery takes place and the circuit profile, especially the character of the entry and exit into turn one at the start of the race. Since the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in 2005, there have been 2 safety car deployments, which means that there is a 50% chance that the circuit's character will induce a safety car period.

Temperature, pressure & humidity

As an example, it is a long observed tradition that drivers arriving at Interlagos complain about a lack of grip and an absence of engine power. Having become acquainted with a baseline of engine and aerodynamic performance during the season, the climb to 750 metres above sea level for one of the final races can, courtesy of the reduction in air density, rob a Formula One car of engine power, aerodynamic performance and cooling. The losses can come close to double digit percentages and thus have a very real impact on car performance. Air density is a factor of the prevailing ambient temperature, which varies most significantly by season, air pressure which is closely linked to altitude and, to a much smaller degree, by humidity. Thus if races are run at the same time each year, the factor that tends to have the greatest bearing on air density is elevation. Istanbul is 125m above sea level and has a relatively low pressure of 999.75 mbar, so engine power will be lower than at Monaco, which was at sea level.

What the drivers say

Thoughts on Monaco

Nico "I had hoped for slightly more than sixth place in Monaco. Having found a really good set-up, I felt I had settled into the track well and was comfortable in the car. That showed in practice on Saturday and then during Qs1 and 2 of qualifying. Only getting sixth in Q3 because I was caught up behind Barrichello on my fastest lap, was therefore disappointing. I was pushing hard in the race and passed Massa and Vettel early on, but our pace wasn't quick enough to finish any higher than sixth. That's still a solid result for us though and we're hoping for more in the next few races."

Kazuki "After getting into the top ten in qualifying for the first time this year, I was hoping for a decent result in Monaco. The opening laps went well and I made a clean start, but then it became quite a frustrating race for me with lots of traffic and then getting caught up in other drivers' one-stop strategies. In the end, I crashed out as I was just pushing a bit too hard."

Thinking about Istanbul Park

Kazuki "Turkey is one of the few tracks we race on in an anti-clockwise direction so that puts a lot of pressure on our necks. With lateral loads reaching 4.5g, I'll be doing lots of neck work before the race to prepare. I don't have much experience of the track as I was knocked out of last year's race on the first lap, but it's a circuit which tends to suit our car with its mix of long and short straights, several corners for overtaking and then there's turn eight – a triple apexer where we'll hit speeds of 250km/h. It'll be challenging, but I can't wait to get going."

Nico "Turkey is usually a good track for us and we should be able to score points there. I like the circuit, and it's a completely different proposition to where we've just come from. There are definitely some good overtaking opportunities around the lap as the track stretches to about 20m wide at one point and there are lots of large braking zones."

Can we expect some Turkish delight?