21/08/2005
NEWS STORY
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With just over an hour to go before the start of today's race, it's only right that we take the time to congratulate architect Herman Tilke for the fine job he has done here in Istanbul.
In recent years, the German has come in for a lot of criticism for his new tracks, and also the modifications made at the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, and much of the criticism, in our humble opinion, was quite valid, since he appeared to concentrate on the aesthetics, and how the track would appear on TV, rather than the racing it might produce. Race fans are not interested in whether a track resembles a Chinese character or whether the main grandstands holds 250,000 and cost ten million to build, they want action packed racing.
However, after two days action here, we have to admit that the Istanbul Park circuit looks impressive, and if nothing else is causing drivers to work a little bit harder than usual.
The bumps, some of the various corners - especially the notorious Turn 8, described by several drivers as "four turns in one", not to mention the dirt, the undulations and the fact that the lap runs anti-clockwise, have provided some decent entertainment in the last 48 hours. Long may it continue.
Whether this afternoon's race is going to produce an action fest remains to be seen, however it is the current aerodynamic regulations, added to the fact that some drivers appear to have forgotten how to overtake, that must take much of the responsibility for the current lack of overtaking.
With the main title protagonists starting from the front of the grid, we can expect a thrilling start, though several drivers might feel that the strange nature of the circuit dictates a philosophy of 'softly, softly, catchee monkey'.
Although not every driver appears to like Tilke's latest creation, after two days of spins and excursions, they are all treating it with a certain amount of respect, mindful that the most minor error will prove costly.
However, at the back of the field, Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson button and Takuma Sato should give us some real entertainment.
Therefore, before we go any further, may we say thanks to Herman Tilke for finally giving us a circuit worthy of hosting an F1 race.
A couple of things worth noting:
Firstly, we hear, just half an hour before the race starts, that Michelin is encountering a problem with its tyres here in Istanbul. According to our sources, Michelin has warned its teams not to "touch" a number of the kerbs. The exact nature of the problem is unclear at present, however, a couple of sources claim that it is not entirely dissimilar to the sort of problem encountered at Indianapolis.
We understand that Mark Webber, in particular, was told to slow down following yesterday's qualifying lap.
Also the back of the grid will see Villeneuve start ahead of Doornbos, Karthikeyan, Schumacher and Takuma Sato.
Michael is starting further back not only due to the fact that he failed to post a time in qualifying, but also because the team opted to change his engine.
As the cars prepare for the warm-up lap the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 46 degrees. It's sunny with just a few small clouds in the sky.
As they head off on the warm-up lap, thousands of spectators are still making their way into the circuit.
As the grid forms, Sato dives into the pits.
As Raikkonen moves across to block Fisichella he almost allows Alonso to slip through, the Finn loses out as Fisi takes the lead. Further back Massa runs wide.
Somehow Kimi has got back into the lead, but both Renaults are all over him.
At the end of lap one it's Kimi, Fisichella, Alonso, Montoya, Trulli, Heidfeld, Klien and Coulthard. Massa pits, as Michael is already up to eleventh.
Alonso is told over the radio that he is faster than his teammate and is then told to overtake his teammate, moments later he's passed.
Raikkonen posts fastest lap (28.881) as he enjoys a 1.4s lead over Alonso, further back Michael is passed by Button, the Ferrari clearly unable to respond to the BAR.
As Alonso chases Raikkonen, Montoya is all over Fisichella, elsewhere, Webber passes Coulthard, The Australian on a real charge.
Alonso goes quickest (27.563) as he cuts Kimi's lead to 1s.
Raikkonen and Alonso are setting a blistering pace, trading fastest sectors, as Button gets past Barrichello to take tenth.
Webber is all over Klien, having made short work of his teammate, as Nick Heidfeld pits with a puncture.
Behind Karthikeyan (fourteenth), Villeneuve, Albers, Sato and Ralf are running nose-to-tail.
Raikkonen posts a new fastest lap (26.960), as Alonso keeps within a second of the McLaren. Button is closing in on Coulthard as Michael is unable to get past Barrichello.
Webber gets past Klien, as Ralf closes in on Villeneuve.
A 1:26.579 sees Fisichella go quickest, clearly the Italian means business as he closes to within 1.9s of Alonso. Elsewhere, Button passes Coulthard on the main straight, easy peasy.
Webber has a puncture and slowly makes his way back to the pits, a bitter blow for the Australian.
As Webber makes his way back to the pits, dropping further and further down the order, Raikkonen posts another fastest lap (26.330).
Webber makes it back to the pit, his tyre totally destroyed.
Button takes the other Red Bull, passing Klien to take sixth and setting off after Jarno Trulli, who is 13.9s up the road.
As Raikkonen enjoys a 1.6s lead over Alonso, Fisichella retains third ahead of Montoya, Trulli, Button and Klien.
The front four are lapping in the low 1:26s, a much faster pace than the rest.
At the end of lap 13 Alonso pits, as Kimi sets another fastest lap (26.013). This promotes Fisichella to second, 6s behind the race leader. Nick Heidfeld also pits.
Next time around it's Fisichella that pits, which means that McLaren are running 1-2.
Webber and Michael Schumacher collide, as Fisichella's pit stop goes totally wrong, once again. It appears to be a problem with the fuel rig.
There's chaos in the Ferrari pit where the crew appear to have the tyre wrong, having been unprepared for the (unscheduled) stop. Back on track the German is driving very cautiously, did the clash with Webber cause suspension damage?
Button is up to fifth and all over Alonso, as Michael - still going slowly - causes Fisichella to go off-track.
Schumacher returns to the pits and into retirement, a disastrous weekend for the team.
Another fastest lap for Raikkonen (25.520) on lap 17, as he extends his lead over Montoya to 9.9s. Trulli - yet to stop - is third, ahead of Alonso, Button, Klien and Coulthard.
Yet another fastest al for Kimi (25.443), as Trulli pits, which allows Alonso back into third. Meanwhile, due to that awful stop - none of which was down to him - Fisichella has dropped to ninth.
Just to prove a point, Juan Pablo goes quickest, crossing the line at 1:25.420. Thus far the McLarens look awesome.
After 19 laps, of the leading 6, only Alonso has pitted.
Button makes a great move on Alonso, and the Spaniard, knowing that the British driver still has to stop, offers no resistance.
At the end of lap 21, Montoya pits, as Kimi sets another fastest lap (25.073). Another disaster, the lollipop goes up but the fuel line is not yet fully removed. Button also pits, but in his case it's trouble free.
Next time around Raikkonen pits, as Webber suffers another puncture, WilliamsF1's third of the afternoon. The Australian's race is over.
Of the leading 6, only the Red Bulls haven't pitted.
After 22 laps, Raikkonen leads Montoya by 13.6s, with Alonso third, ahead of Klien, Coulthard, Trulli, Barrichello, Fisichella and Button. However, the Red Bulls and Barrichello have yet to pit.
Next time around, Klien pits, followed by Coulthard and Barrichello at the end of lap 24.
Therefore, after the first round of pit stops, Raikkonen leads Montoya by 12.6s, with Alonso just 1.6s behind the Colombian. Fisichella is fourth, ahead of Trulli, Button and Sato, who still has to stop. Coulthard is eighth, ahead of Klien, Barrichello, Massa, Villeneuve, Ralf and Heidfeld. Coulthard passed his teammate during the pit stops.
This appears to be a three horse race, with Alonso up against the McLaren duo. With a 21.3s deficit, Fisichella is really out of the equation, though this is nothing to do with the hapless Italian, who, once again, has suffered appalling luck today.
Albers has a nightmarish pit stop, the car having to be pushed back into place in order that the crew can work on it. It's unclear whether he overshot his pit or merely had a technical problem.
On lap 29, Massa becomes the third 'retirement' of the afternoon, after Michael and Webber. That said, the Ferrari crew is working on the German's car in an effort to get him back out.
At the end of lap 30, Sato, who started from the pitlane on full tanks, finally pits.
Guess what? Another puncture for Nick Heidfeld, who spins off. This appears to be a problem unique to the Grove team and not, as previously thought, all the Michelin runners.
As Montoya falls 12.4s behind his teammate, Fernando Alonso closes to within 1.1s of the Colombian.
Having returned to the pits, Heidfeld retires, his team opt not to take any unnecessary risks.
Michael Schumacher finally returns to the track, 18 laps down, as Fernando Alonso makes his second stop.
After 35 laps, Raikkonen leads Montoya by 9.6s. Fisichella is third - 23.6s down on the Colombian - ahead of Alonso (4.7s), Trulli, Button, Coulthard, Klien, Barrichello and Sato.
At the end of lap 36, Fisichella pits, this time without any dramatics.
On lap 39, Juan Pablo Montoya posts a new fastest lap, 1:24.770, the fastest lap of the weekend. Indeed, the Colombian has closed to within 8s of his teammate. Alonso is 37s down, but the McLarens still have to stop.
At the end of lap 41, Montoya pits. This time, like Fisichella, there are no problems, no untoward lollipop errors. Elsewhere, Ralf Schumacher, running twelfth, also pits.
Montoya returns to the track in third, 32.2s behind his teammate, with Alonso a further 16s down the road.
At the end of lap 43, Trulli pits, which promotes Button to fourth. Elsewhere, Fisichella appears to have a problem as he falls back into the clutches of the two Red Bulls.
Raikkonen makes his final stop at the end of lap 45, as Button posts a personal best lap time (26.121). Christian Klien has also pitted.
The order now is Raikkonen, Montoya, Alonso, Button, Fisichella, Coulthard, Trulli, Barrichello, Klien and Sato. However, Button, Coulthard and Barrichello still need to make their second stops.
At the end of lap 48, Button pits, returning to the track in fifth, behind Fisichella but ahead of Trulli.
Other than Button's pursuit of Fisichella, the only real battle worth watching is that featuring Jacques Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher for eleventh, they are separated by just 0.6s.
At the end of lap 51, Michael Schumacher retires, he's 13 laps down on Albers, but knows that he has made up several qualifying slots for Monza.
Button closes to within 3s of Fisichella, the Englishman the only driver (currently) lapping in the 1:25s.
With 4 laps remaining, Alonso is within 6.7s of Montoya, as Button closes to within 1.1s of Fisichella.
Juan Pablo gets hit from behind by Monteiro and consequently locks up and spins, which allows Alonso to close right up. Raikkonen might be heading for a win but second place is still up for grabs.
The Spaniard can smell blood, and closes in on the McLaren. Montoya goes wide, at Turn 8 and Alonso slips through to take 2 much-needed points, bad news for Kimi.
Having taken the flag Kimi asks his crew what happened to his teammate on the last lap, he's told that Montoya went off after flat-spotting his tyres, which probably relates to the lock-up following the incident with the Jordan.
Kimi wins, but has only reduced his points deficit to Alonso to 24, with just five races remaining. However, Renault's Constructors' Championship lead has now been reduced to just 9 points.
An incident filled race, yet it appears that many race fans never got to see it, with some still arriving at the track even after the Champagne had been sprayed.
A faultless performance from Kimi and McLaren, and in all honesty Montoya's failure to make it a 1-2 for the Woking team was more due to Tiago Monteiro than an error from the Colombian.
Although Alonso will be delighted to have saved an extra two points, he will be fully aware that Renault must react to McLaren, which appear to be getting stronger with every race. Giancarlo will have every reason to feel bitterly disappointed after yet another problem totally out-with his control.
A strong performance from Jenson Button, who has further cause to rue his mistake in qualifying, but nonetheless drove a mature, determined race.
A good but unspectacular performance from Jarno Trulli, while both Red Bull drivers fully deserve their share of the points.
Ferrari expected little and therefore will be unsurprised to return home with nothing, while WilliamsF1 will be wondering what on earth went wrong that caused them to suffer four punctures. That said, early indications suggest that this was due to a problem with the rims on the FW27s.
We started the afternoon by congratulating Herman Tilke on the superb job he has done here.
We'd like to reiterate that, it's a good circuit, and with a change to the aerodynamic rules and driver attitude towards overtaking, it could soon become one of the best on the calendar.
Therefore congratulations to Mr Tilke, not forgetting Messrs Raikkonen and Alonso…
Whoever said one can have too much Turkey?