The Turkish Grand Prix at the Istanbul Speed Park marks the next stop on the 2008 Formula 1 calendar.
The race was introduced to the sport in 2005, with the inaugural race won by the team. The event takes place at the Istanbul Speed Park in the Tepeören - Tuzla area near Istanbul, on the Asian side of the Bosporus river.
Following his accident at the Spanish Grand Prix, Heikki Kovalainen will be required to pass the mandatory FIA fitness checks, which are required after any concussion, before participating in the race. These will take place at the Istanbul circuit on Thursday 8th May.
LEWIS HAMILTON
Q: Following a solid result in Spain, what are your thoughts ahead of the Turkish race?
A: "Qualifying was surprising close in Spain, both at the front of the grid and in the midfield. Whilst there are clear chances to overtake at the Istanbul Speed Park, it is going to be vital to qualify well. The balance of the car felt good in Spain, and this is really key at Turkey because of the high speed corners. You need to have a stable balance to be quick through them, such as turn three. You also need a very stable car through turn eight, to ensure you conserve your Bridgestone Potenzas and that you are able to carry speed through there. This section of the track is key as you can gain a lot of time."
Q: Turkey is one of the anti-clockwise races, can you outline any impact this has on the driver and the Bridgestone Potenza tyres?
A: "On the tyres, the issue is more turn eight. This is where tyres can suffer on the track and you have to be careful to ensure you don’t scrub them. The anti-clockwise direction doesn’t really have an effect. The majority of the tracks we race at during the year are clockwise, so it is inevitable that the right side of your next gets stronger. As a result, you do need to prepare the left side of your neck a little bit more to make sure that it doesn’t weaken over the course of the race weekend. I have spent some time doing this with my trainer since Spain so it shouldn’t be a problem."
Q: Do you enjoy racing at the Istanbul Speed Park?
A: "I do, it is a fantastic circuit. It is quite demanding, particularly through turn eight, but it provides a good challenge. I always look forward to the race and hope to improve on last year’s result. I also hope to have Heikki alongside me for the race so we can get a good joint result for the team, I know he has a final check at the track on Thursday so we will have to wait and see until then."
