About the Turkish GP

Length 5.338 km
Laps 58 (309.356 Km)
Last Year
1. F. Massa
2. L. Hamilton
3. K. Raikkonen
Record Lap J-P. Montoya – 1′24”770 (2005, McLaren)
Record Pole K. Raikkonen – 1′26”506 (2008, Ferrari)
Last Year Pole F. Massa – 1′27”617 (Ferrari)
Previous winners

Year Driver
2008 F. Massa (Ferrari)
2007 F. Massa (Ferrari)
2006 F. Massa (Ferrari)
2005 K. Raikkonen (McLaren)

BMW confirms double diffuser for Turkey

The BMW Sauber team has confirmed it will finally introduce a double-decker diffuser at next week’s Turkish Grand Prix.
After struggling for performance at the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend, the Hinwil-based squad will run the new diffuser in Istanbul, hoping it will boost its hopes of a stronger result.
BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen admitted the team did not expect such a poor start to the season after scoring its first win last year.
He insisted, however, that the team can cope with the situation and that it will continue to push to get out of it.
"Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix our results are quite sobering. Nobody in the team expected the season to pan out as it has so far," said Theissen.
"After taking a forward step in Spain, we were clearly off the pace in Monaco. To regain our competitiveness we will have to ramp up our development speed significantly. In Istanbul we will have the next step of our development ready and will be using a multistage diffuser for the first time.
"After three successful years, this phase is our first setback. We can deal with it. After all, it was the same team in Munich and Hinwil that ensured our progressive advancement since the BMW Sauber F1 Team was founded. We are all determined to get ourselves back among the front runners again."

Toyota predicts Turkish GP fightback

Toyota team president John Howett says he is expecting the Japanese outfit to fight back at the Turkish Grand Prix following what he labelled as a an unacceptable performance in Monaco.
The team started the season as one of the main rivals to the Brawn squad, but has struggled to make an impression in the last two races.
In Monte Carlo, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock qualified at the bottom of the grid.
But Howett is adamant Toyota will be much stronger in Istanbul, where he reckons the fast corners will suit its car.
"Clearly we want – and expect – to deliver a significantly better performance in Turkey than we did in Monaco, which was unacceptable to us," said Howett.
"We saw in Spain and Monaco that we were not good enough on slow-speed sectors and we have worked tirelessly to understand the reason for this.
"It tends to be influenced by traction and this was magnified by Monaco. We have conducted a straight-line aero test and that will give us the information we need to rapidly develop a solution.
"Turkey is a very different circuit to Monaco and I am very optimistic we will be strong."
Trulli added: "I am hopeful of a strong result this weekend. Monaco was difficult for everyone in the team but that is in the past now and we are looking forward to the next race.
"Monaco is basically a one-off circuit for Formula 1 and the Istanbul track is very different so I’m sure we will be a lot more competitive this weekend."