Fuente : Renault F1 Team
http://www.renaultf1.com/

FORMULA 1 - RENAULT: Istanbul: What’s at stake this weekend

/noticias.info/ After a three-week break, F1 has arrived in Istanbul – at a brand new circuit. The weekend ahead promises to be exciting.


The teams and drivers came through the gates of Istanbul Park in curious mood this weekend, with the circuit still emerging from the surrounding land. The circuit will host the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix this weekend, and has been designed by F1’s favourite designer, Hermann Tilke. The drivers have completed their first laps – on foot – today and they have been full of praise: there are lots of changes in elevation, big braking zones, a long straight and quick corners in its 5.338km length. The circuit is already being compared to Spa or Sepang, flattering words indeed… As for the track itself, it is newly finished and still very dirty, which means conditions should change significantly through the weekend. This will be a key factor to bear in mind tomorrow evening when the tyre choice is made…

As for the drivers’ championship, Fernando Alonso holds a strong lead. The Spaniard is 26 points ahead of his rival Kimi Raikkonen: it is a comfortable gap, as Fernando has stressed, but still not enough to let the team focus solely on cruising to collect points. Several unexpected incidents could leave the fight wide open – which means Renault will approach the weekend with an aggressive attitude, looking to score as many points as possible. On the constructors’ front, 12 points separate Renault and McLaren. The slightest mistake could push things in favour of one team or the other – and once again, neither team can afford any errors.

The R25 has been quick on every circuit this year, and should be strong this weekend. The Renault F1 Team has been running simulations and has established the base-line set-ups that Fernando and Giancarlo will use tomorrow morning. According to the grip levels on the circuit, the team will alter the aerodynamic and mechanical set-ups – and the lap-times will start coming down quickly. As for the main rivals, they will be the same as three weeks ago in Hungary: McLaren will be the big threat, and finishing ahead of them will be a big objective; Ferrari showed a return to form in Budapest and may well prove strong on an unknown circuit; BAR has been close to the podium in recent races, and may mix it at the front. And Williams will be hoping to bounce back from their recent poor performances.

The final important variable is the weather, which remains unpredictable for this weekend. The forecasts talk of stormy weather in the next two days, which may add an extra bit of spice to the race. A new circuit will bring big ambitions, and a refreshed paddock after some well-earned days of. Istanbul marks the final straight in the 2005 season. notas_de_prensa_archivo