Tisková informace - WilliamsF1 (EN) Williams F1, f1, formule 1, constructors, okruhy

Tisková informace - WilliamsF1 (EN)

Miroslav Sanytrák | 24.8.07 | Aktuality

20th AUGUST 2007
TURKISH GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

Formula One returns to the race track this week for round 12 of the Championship, the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday 26th August. This year’s race will be only the third hosted by Turkey since its debut on the calendar in 2005. Istanbul Park, a purpose-built facility designed by Hermann Tilke, is located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, and is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations on the calendar where Eastern tradition meets Western modernism. After a brief respite for the teams, the Grand Prix in Turkey marks the first of the final third of the Championship. With 234 points still up for grabs, the remaining races will undoubtedly be contested as intensely as those that have preceded them and the AT&T Williams team will continue to battle for points.

Alex Wurz
I always look forward to the Turkish Grand Prix because it’s such a fantastic race track. It is very demanding physically, mainly because of turn eight; a super fast, high G corner which really strains the neck muscles as well as the tyres and the car. I had a great holiday over the three week summer break with my family. I managed to train every day, and I covered lots of kilometres on the bike and while running. I also made sure I did some extra work to strengthen my neck, back and shoulders in preparation for Turkey.

Nico Rosberg
Istanbul is a great track so I’m looking forward to driving it again. I’m hoping we will have found some more performance over the three week gap which will allow us to stay close to the others and to keep our momentum going into the last races. It’s going to be very hot again so it’ll be a tough race but it will still be easier than Hungary. I have some good memories from last year’s race in Turkey, I was running in fifth at one point. To have a good race this year and score some more points for the team is what I’ll be aiming for.

Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1
Turkey’s Istanbul circuit has a great layout. It’s a challenging track for the drivers and there are a couple of overtaking opportunities around each lap which make for good racing. During the three week break following the last race in Hungary, we’ve been working hard to deliver some more performance for the FW29 as we enter the final leg of the 2007 season.
Downforce levels have to be fairly high in Turkey, not because the straights are long, but due to the many corners. The set-up will be geared towards medium speed cornering, while still allowing for the very long left hand corner that really loads up the Bridgestone Potenza tyres during the lap. We are expecting high ambient temperatures again this year, perhaps around 35oC, which, with no cloud cover, will raise track temperatures to around 50oC. Most teams will probably opt for a two stop strategy this weekend.

Istanbul, Turkey
The purpose-built Istanbul Speed Park is an entirely different technical proposition to the previous race held in Budapest. A modern circuit measuring just over 5.3kms per lap, the Otodrom is a challenging blend of long and short straights, interspersed with eight left and six right-hand corners. Each turn places different demands on the car and the driver, none more so than turn eight - the notorious triple apexer which is taken at speeds reaching 250km/h and which places between 4 and 4.5g of lateral loadings on the drivers 58 times during the course of the race. Turkey also features some interesting gradient changes which, while not upsetting the balance of the car, must be taken into consideration during set-up. Ambient temperatures are expected to reach the 40°C mark, while track readings could climb to 55°C this weekend. As such, engines will require additional cooling capabilities and tyre selection will also be affected accordingly. Like San Marino and Brazil, Turkey runs in an anti-clockwise direction which creates additional pressures - notably for the tyres, and particularly for the right front, as well as for the drivers’ neck muscles. Measuring 20m at its widest, and with large braking zones, the circuit also provides plenty of overtaking opportunities which should guarantee a compelling race on Sunday.