TURKEY-Pre-Race Chat & info

[ÜberDoober]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/Circuit_Istanbul.png

Istanbul Park, also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in Akfırat County east of İstanbul, Turkey. It was inaugurated on August 21, 2005. It has been called "the best race track in the world" by Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The venue of the Turkish Grand Prix is located in Pendik on the Asian side of Istanbul, close to the junction of Kurtköy on the north side of TEM Motorway, linking Istanbul to Ankara. It is adjacent to the newly constructed Sabiha Gökçen International Airport and is surrounded by forests and fields.

The Istanbul Park racing circuit is one of only two circuits of the 2008 Formula One season that runs anti-clockwise, the other being Interlagos circuit (used for the Brazilian Grand Prix). The circuit is 5.338 km long, with an average width of 15 m ranging from 14 to 21.5 m, and covers over 2.215 million m². With a total of 16 corners, the sharpest with a radius of merely 15 m, the circuit runs over four different ground levels with a start/finish straight over 650 m in length. The total race distance of the Turkish Grand Prix is 309.356 km over 58 laps.
Image & Quoted Source: wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_Park) (link)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/STVlogo.jpg (http://www.speedtv.com/)
SPEED Channel TV Schedule for the Grand Prix of Turkey

Broadcast schedule courtesy of:
http://www.dooberville.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=6&pictureid=52 (http://www.racefantv.com/USTV.htm) (click pic for link & printable PDF)
(because the SPEEDtv one bites)


EASTERN TIME ZONE

FRI - May 9:
7:00 am - 8:30 am - Practice 2 (LIVE) (only showing)
11:30 pm - 12:00 am - Inside Grand Prix

SAT - May 10:
12:00 am - 1:00 am - F1 Debrief / Spain (only showing) THIS CANNOT BE CONFIRMED
7:00 am - 8:30 am - Qualifying (LIVE) Time-slipped (only showing)

SUN - May 11:
7:30 am - 8:00 am - Race Preview (LIVE)
8:00 am - 10:00 am - Race (LIVE)
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Inside Grand Prix (2nd/final showing)
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm - Race Preview/Race (2nd/final showing)

PACIFIC TIME ZONE

FRI - May 9:
4:00 am - 5:30 am - Practice 2 (LIVE) (only showing)
8:30 pm - 9:00 pm - Inside Grand Prix
9:00 pm - 10:00 pm - F1 Debrief / Spain (only showing) THIS CANNOT BE CONFIRMED

SAT - May 10:
4:00 am - 5:30 am - Qualifying (LIVE) Time-slipped (only showing)

SUN - May 11:
4:30 am - 5:00 am - Race Preview (LIVE)
5:00 am - 7:00 am - Race (LIVE)
10:00 am - 10:30 am - Inside Grand Prix (2nd/final showing)
10:30 am - 1:00 pm - Race Preview/Race (2nd/final showing)

Come join us for some live posting during qualifying & the race.
We've got to get up at 4:00 frakkin' AM and so should you!

So, who is it going to be this week? Will it be another Ferrari fest? Will Alonso qualify well again? Will BMW close the gap? Is Hamilton washed up already? Post away Doobers! Let's hear what you think!

Found this on Youtube, for your viewing pleasure
trypLKrnQ0I

[DooberRoni]

It's a shame about Super Aguri. I read they arrived in Turkey with their transporter and cars and were denied access to the paddock.

Backmarkers that shouldn't be out there? Maybe but who is David Hobbs going to make humorous comments about now? Force India? STR? It just won't be the same without Super Happy Best Friends.

Goodnight, Sato! Been nice knowing ya! :sleep:

[ÜberDoober]

McLaren identify wheel failure cause
By Pablo ElizaldeThursday, May 8th 2008, 12:01 GMT

The McLaren team have identified the cause of Heikki Kovalainen's big accident at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The British squad said that, due to a process fault during manufacture of the left front wheel, the outer clamp surface had given a clear lacquer coating.

As a consequence, the clamp load that attached the wheel was not to specification and, when running, the wheel distorted and eventually failed. Souce: Autosport.com (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67211)

Heikki Kovalainen has been cleared to race in Turkey! Not sure what a "clear lacquer coating" had to do with the wheel failure though?

[ÜberDoober]

Somehow my problem started about three years ago.

Quite by accident, I found myself up at 5:00am one morning to watch a Formula 1 race on SPEEDtv. It had to be sometime right after I got cable again and I don't even remember why I was up at such an ungodly hour?

Before too long, I was setting the on-timer in the bedroom telly and watching it through a slit of the one eye I had propped open when it turned on at 'o dark thirty.

Last season, I missed only a few live qualifying sessions (best part of the weekend) and only one or two live race broadcasts.

This year, I've been up for every qually and every race and I've set a goal of having a perfect season. This weekend in Turkey means I will get up at 4:00 in the frakking morning! Sometimes, I feel sorry for myself. :)

I'm not even sure why? F1 is boring to a lot of people but I find the intrigue, politics and big monies involved an interesting part of the sport. Criticize them if you want, but the broadcast team is the best of any motorsport we get in America.

I guess there is also no avoiding the fact that I'm now going to have to buy a MotoGP subscription and get up before the roosters to watch it live too. Poor ÜberD

I wish we had more F1 fans in DooberVille but most of the boys back at the ranch have either left or are stone loyal. If you happen to be up watching, come join me of if you know of someone that can tell a Kovalainen from a Raikkonen, bring 'em on down. (I hear there's a big rep point bonus for referrals-tell 'em to list your Doober name when they register and ye shall be rewarded)

[ÜberDoober]

Didn't get to bed until after 1:00 so no way in hell was I getting up at 4:00 to watch practice. Webber crashed and Bourdais had a big moment.

2nd practice times:
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:27.543 30
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:27.579 + 0.036 31
3. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:27.682 + 0.139 29
4. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:27.763 + 0.220 24
5. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:27.954 + 0.411 27
6. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:28.431 + 0.888 29
7. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:28.619 + 1.076 29
8. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:28.664 + 1.121 27
9. Alonso Renault (B) 1:28.681 + 1.138 26
10. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:28.817 + 1.274 31
11. Button Honda (B) 1:28.826 + 1.283 28
12. Glock Toyota (B) 1:28.849 + 1.306 26
13. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:28.907 + 1.364 29
14. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:29.008 + 1.465 35
15. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:29.024 + 1.481 22
16. Piquet Renault (B) 1:29.212 + 1.669 26
17. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:29.462 + 1.919 30
18. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:29.630 + 2.087 32
19. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:29.633 + 2.090 4
20. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:30.832 + 3.289 9

[ÜberDoober]

4:25am... Five minutes left in Q1!

With the loss of Super Aguri, there's a few less knockout cars. Hamilton has the session with a minute to go with a 1:26:192. Check that, Massa to P1 with a 1:25:994. Sutil, Fisichella, Bourdais, Piquet and Nakajima all out. (runs to kitchen for coffee and some toast & peanut butter). :D

[DooberRoni]

The Force India cars look like McLarens at certain camera angles. Intentional or accidental? Cars wait until eleven minutes before taking to the track.

Piquet hasn't exactly lived up to expectations. Down to five minutes and the leapfrogging begins. This is fun stuff.

[ÜberDoober]

Any simmers or gamers out there? I've run this track in rFactor on the PC and in MotoGP on the 360 and the last three corners look easier in real life than in v-life.

LuHam pushed into the garage? Whazzup with that? There's three minutes left.

[ÜberDoober]

Checkers out! Vettel, Barrichello, Rosberg, Glock and Button out. Both Honda's not in Q3. I thought Nico Rosberg was an up and comer but he just hasn't had the results to back it up. Heidfeld was in the red but his flyer after the flag got him in. Robert Kubica jumps up to 2nd.

Q3 is gonna be good! :)

[DooberRoni]

Raikkonen, Kubica, Massa, Kovalainen top the session with Hambone in 4th. Alonso in 8th with no Spanish magic this week.

[ÜberDoober]

Varsha says the Ferrari's are 4mph faster than anyone down the straight at 200mph. Cool new thermal imaging shot.

Peter Windsor makes a funny about the thermal image and Nico Rosberg. :) Supposedly Rosberg is running a mega fuel load?

Lurid slide from Hamilton with yellow plank smoke along the way. Very cool! Under 3 minutes and Bob says "time to show us your legs, girls".

[DooberRoni]

Time for the money laps. Red Bull cars are not even going out in this session. Weird?

McLarens suspected of being light. Flag is out, here we go!.

Massa, Kovalainen, Hamilton, Raikkonen. In other words, the usual suspects. Alonso ends up 5th.

[ÜberDoober]

Heikki K. almost had the pole until snatched away at the last minute by Felipe Massa. A tenth difference between Kovalainen and Hamilton.

OOOooo. They just showed a clip of Massa and Alonso and wonder if the stewards might think Fernando was blocking? Hmmm?

Well it's off to the shower to get ready for some biking. Got a busy day going on, a couple busted computers to fix for work and I'm getting my grandson when I'm back from my ride.

So, are the Macca boys light and is Kimi fat? Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow! Good on Kovalainen for coming back strong after his big off in Spain.

[ÜberDoober]

First half of pre-race observed while still under the covers but the coffee is done and it's time for the big show.

It's cold there. 63 degrees and the wind is blowing smartly. I know its been chatted about but this track could use some corner names.

Warmup lap is underway. Almost time for the lights!

[DooberRoni]

Safety Car! Damn!

At least it wasn't Vettle again!

[ÜberDoober]

Bad start for Kimi. Safety car already. Wow! Replay of the wreck was serious. What was Fisi thinking?

[DooberRoni]

Alonso got a great start. What happened to Heikki to make him pit so early? Hamilton is sticking close to Massa but supposedly is light? Massa still creeping away.

[ÜberDoober]

It's 5:15 and first light. Robert Kubica running in 3rd but Raikkonen making progress in 4th.

LuHam with a few fastest laps in succession. He must be really light? The crew says is thought 3 laps light.

[ÜberDoober]

Peter Windsor also commented on how much the Force India cars look like the McLarens. That's what I've been thinking too.

Fuel stops should be coming up quickly. Alonso in at 15 laps.

LuHam in but he was right on Massa's ass. Back on hards with a quick stop. With Kovalainen's weird early stop, they think he may only need one more. Can't wait to hear more about that.

[DooberRoni]

Hamilton is doing well to stay close to Massa. 22 laps complete of 58.

Good shot on Kimi's stop of the electronic lolipop Ferrari is using. I wonder if the pit crews feel like they are working backward. It sure looks backward from what we are used to.

[ÜberDoober]

Hamilton with a strong pass on Massa for the lead. Awesome! :)

He's pulling away but the boys think Ham is on a 3 stop strategy? Bourdais in the gravel. SAFETY CAR! Crap!

[DooberRoni]

They called it! Three stop strategy for Hamilton. Very clever if it works. The clouds are looking darker and heavier all the time but past halfway, doubtful of any showers.

[ÜberDoober]

Some good dicing between Kovalainen and Timo Glock but still, Heikki is running pretty far back. Who knows what the hell strategy is on?

I just read a stray dog was hit in the GP2 race. I wonder if it was caught on camera? Kind of morbid but I'll look for it on Youtube.

Massa and Kubica make their last stops. The end is in sight. LuHam and Kimi still need to pit.

[ÜberDoober]

Raikkonen closing on Hamilton for second. I'm thinking he's got him? McLarens are sucking on the option tire. This could be a spectacular finish? :)

[ÜberDoober]

Felipe Massa makes it 3 wins in a row in Turkey. Hamilton holds on for 2nd with Kimi in third.

Kubica 4th, Heidfeld 5th, Alonso 6th, Weber 7th and Rosberg in the points in 8th.

Two weeks to go until Monaco! Can't wait for that one. :)