6542

Team principal Ross Brawn has defended Honda team colleague Nick Fry amid suggestions the CEO worked to topple the satellite outfit Super Aguri.

Aguri Suzuki, and failed team saviour Franz Josef Weigl commented this week that Fry, who appointed Brawn as his successor as Honda team principal for this year and beyond, was instrumental in Super Aguri's collapse.

"I am sure it is a very difficult time for Aguri. He has worked for two years on this project and he realised the end had come, and when he reflects on some of the things he said I am sure he will reflect differently," Brawn told a news conference in Istanbul on Friday.

Also on the scene of Sunday's Turkish grand prix, Fry himself insisted that he cannot be held responsible for Super Aguri's problems, despite rumours that he instructed Bernie Ecclestone to refuse the team access to the paddock this weekend.

Fry had also been openly dismissive of the proposed Weigl buyout, after earlier assisting his friend Martin Leach's ultimately failed Magma deal.

Brawn, insisting that the Magma deal was the only "viable solution", said: "What I saw was Nick making big efforts to keep the project alive."

]]>

6541

Australia's Mark Webber on Friday accepted "100 per cent" blame for crashing his Red Bull in afternoon practice at Istanbul on Friday.

"I didn't respect the green astroturf that sits on the outside of the track enough," he said, apologising to his mechanics.

Stewards at the Turkish grand prix punished Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella with a three position grid penalty after the Roman driver jumped the red light at the start of Friday morning practice at Istanbul.

Felipe Massa has rescinded his membership of the formula one drivers' union, the GPDA.

"I didn't always like the way it was run," the Ferrari driver told the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The news follows hot on the heels of Grand Prix Drivers' Association stalwart Jarno Trulli's harsh criticism of other non-members, including Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil and Massa's teammate and current world champion, Kimi Raikkonen.

"I think they just don't care about safety," Toyota racer Trulli said this week.

]]>

6540

Positions

QUOTES:
Jenson: We made a lot of changes to the car after this morning when I was struggling with a lack of grip on initial turn in which you really need around here This afternoon was much better right from the start of the session We tried a lot of different things on the set-up and I’m confident that we know which direction to take for the rest of the weekend It was a bit damp when we first went out this afternoon but from then on the track was fine This circuit is very tough without traction control and you could see that a lot of people were making mistakes but that does make it more fun to watch and drive I was certainly enjoying it out there! The car is working better on the smoother asphalt here and we have made some changes to help with the ride quality, so for me the car feels better than in Barcelona
Rubens: The car was nicely balanced in the morning and we were pleased with our progress However we made a mechanical change over lunch which changed the balance It was too big a change to go back in the time available so we have some work to do overnight to understand what has changed We should be able to get the car back to how it felt this morning, then I believe we have a good chance of getting through to Q3 tomorrow. Well most importantly, when I’m in the car, it’s a normal weekend for me It’s fantastic to have the celebrations here, with all my family and the team, but on the track nothing changes When I began my career back in 1993, I never thought that I would break this record, but now it really means a great deal to me
Steve Clark - Head of Race & Test Engineering: The sessions ran without any incident on either car which is always good The damp track at the start of the morning, the rain for the start of the second session and then the red flag caused by Webber’s crash of course meant that we could not stick to the original plan This is the same for everyone and something we just had to deal with.” With the disrupted sessions it is more difficult than usual to gauge our speed relative to our competitors However here we have the front wheel covers, which give a tangible performance gain, so getting one or both cars to a top ten qualifying position and from there a points finish ought to be realistic targets

]]>

6539

Positions

QUOTES:
Kimi: Not the best of Fridays. This morning, I only managed one timed lap before a gearbox problem meant I could not go out for the rest of the session. In the afternoon, I struggled a bit to find the right settings on the car. One of the main problems today was getting the tyres up to the correct temperature, but I think that tomorrow, partly as the grip level on the track improves and partly as we work to improve the set-up, it will be a different situation. We lost valuable time this morning, but we still have enough data to analyse so that we can be ready to tackle the rest of the weekend
Felipe: Overall, this was a positive day. The track is very fast, even if it's still a bit dirty, which meant it was quite easy to make mistakes. The low temperatures mean it is difficult to get the most out of the tyres on a first timed lap, especially on the harder ones. We tried various settings and now we need to look at the data from everything we have done over these three hours, to be as well prepared as possible. I feel comfortable on this track and I think I can be very competitive tomorrow and on Sunday in the race: it would be fantastic to win again here, after having done it for the past two years
Luca Baldisserri: This Friday's free practice did not go entirely to plan. This morning we had a gearbox problem on Kimi's car which meant he was stuck in the pits for most of the first session. Felipe managed to get through his planned programme and is reasonably satisfied with the handling of his car, while Kimi is less so. As usual for a Friday, we worked on finding the best set-up on the car and on a comparison of the two types of Bridgestone tyre available to us. Now we have to study all the data we have gathered to understand how to improve the performance on both cars

]]>

6538

Positions

QUOTES:
Lewis: We focused on tyre evaluation and set-up work today and so far things are not looking too bad. Everybody lost a bit of running time in the first session as the track was still wet in places after cleaning. This circuit is constantly evolving which is challenging but also enjoyable. In the first session I stayed on the same set of tyres throughout and experienced no problems. In my last run of the day I put on a new set of tyres but had a small moment which cost me some time. Overall I am pleased with our initial pace and consistency
Heikki: It was nice to get back in the car again and everything was fine. I was on the pace immediately and was able to set some consistent lap times. At the end of the first session I went out on the option tyre but the brake temperature was not quite right, so I was not able to go flat out in that run. The second session went smoothly as well, and we focused on tyre evaluation with some long runs as well as looking at the set-up. A very productive and positive day
Ron Dennis: Two productive practice sessions where both drivers managed to complete their programme. Both were quick and consistent. A special mention to Heikki who went out for the first time since his accident and was fast immediately. We seem to be competitive and look forward to the rest of the weekend
Norbert Haug: A good first practice day. Lewis's and Heikki's lap times looked reasonable, and we completed our planned programme including tyre evaluation. The best news is that Heikki is back in his car, and he drove and worked with the team as we all know from him

]]>

6537

Positions

QUOTES:
Nick: The trouble is I don’t get the tyres heated up quickly enough. The long run wasn’t bad. As soon as the tyres start to work, it is okay, but it takes too long to get there. We now have to work on that
Robert: Unfortunately I didn’t have too much time on the track this morning due to a small technical problem. Therefore we had to squeeze the morning work into this afternoon’s programme. We only did four runs and had to work on the tyres and the set up. We still have a few problems with the balance of the car, but tested several set up options which we will now evaluate and then choose the best one. I am confident for tomorrow
Willy Rampf - Technical Director: We could not complete our programme as planned. This was because on the one hand the weather conditions were changing, and on the other Robert had a mechanical problem with the car’s rear suspension in the first session. In the afternoon everything worked well and we concentrated on comparing tyres, and also did some set up changes. Now we shall analyse the data to find the best set up for this demanding track. On Saturday and Sunday it is supposed to stay dry

]]>

6536

Positions

QUOTES:
Adrian: This morning was OK. It was difficult for everyone as there was very little grip with not much rubber laid down. I think most people struggled to find a balance, including us. We took the hard tyre for the first session and recorded a standard lap time, but at least we could see where we were. "It was OK with the balance and some corners were quite good. We used the harder tyre again in the second session with the longer runs, but it did not work as well at the beginning as I lost all the temperatures in the tyres. After the red flag we realised that there was a clutch issue and we couldn't do any more running so it was a bit disappointing, but hopefully tomorrow will be better
Giancarlo: This morning I was really struggling with the balance and with the grip on the circuit, but then we made a few changes on the car and it felt much better, much more consistent so I think it was a good afternoon, it was definitely a step forward in the second session
Mike Gascoyne - Chief Technical Officer: A reasonably productive day but with a couple of difficulties. As expected, we struggled with the relatively low grip of the circuit and found it difficult to get the tyres working correctly. With Adrian we had a clutch problem in the afternoon session that curtailed his running, but Giancarlo completed his planned programme. Over the longer runs he was very consistent and competitive, but we know there is still more to come from both drivers tomorrow

]]>

6535

Positions

QUOTES:
David: Today was similar to the Friday session in Spain – there were no major problems, it was all about following the track evolution and making sure we had the balance right. There are a lot of long corners on this circuit, you can see people are going off quite easily, so it’s critical to get the front end right here. We’ll look at the data now and decide what we’ll do for tomorrow
Mark: Going off the track at Turn 6 was 100 percent my fault. I didn’t respect the green Astroturf that sits on the outside of the track enough. I was a bit too loaded up on the outside of the track, the Astroturf was a bit damp, and I went off, it was my fault. I apologise to the guys and we’ll bounce back from this tomorrow

]]>

6534

Positions

QUOTES:
Fernando: The track conditions were certainly not ideal today, buy they were the same for all the teams and did not disturb our programme too much. As usual we worked hard and I was able to evaluate a lot of things with my car and gathered some interesting information. We still have to make a few more improvements tomorrow, especially with the general balance of the car, but today's performance is encouraging for the rest of the weekend
Nelson: My day was pretty normal. I had quite a busy programme with set-up work this morning and tyre testing in the afternoon. The aim was to feel at home in the car and to try to improve the balance, and we managed to do this because we did not have any problems during the two sessions. The track conditions were relatively stable, even though it rained a little bit at the beginning of the afternoon. Overall I think that we have prepared well, and I am determined to make the most of the final practice session tomorrow
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: It has not been easy today. We were expecting low temperatures with the race being held earlier in the year than usual, but the temperatures have turned out to be even lower than we had anticipated. Consequently grip is pretty low, which is why we saw so many incidents on the circuit today. Both drivers are still looking to improve the balance of the car, but I am happy with the work we've done as we have been able to evaluate the tyres and looked at some different set-up options
Denis Chevrier, Head of Engine Track Operations : We only visit this circuit once a year, and so our Friday programme was especially busy as we had to try a lot of different set-up solutions to allow the drivers to feel comfortable on the circuit. It is difficult to draw many conclusions from the practice sessions, but at least we were able to complete our programme without any problems. We also know that we were not the only team to suffer with the track conditions. It is therefore a good basis to work on for tomorrow

]]>

6533

Positions

QUOTES:
Sebastian V: I am quite happy with the way practice went today. Obviously, it was difficult because of the changing conditions, which limited our track time. But I think we completed a good and consistent programme, which produced a lot of useful information, especially for Sunday. I feel happy with the car again, which is the most important thing, so I am looking forward to tomorrow afternoon
Sebastian B: It’s my first time at this track and I have to say it is very interesting. Turn 8 is particularly tricky as it is both quick and bumpy and these cars don’t like bumps very much! The car can step out on you quite quickly. Today, sometimes the car felt good and at other times, it seemed to get away from me. The conditions were really difficult. I wouldn’t say it was a case of low grip, but rather that we struggled to take care of the tyres and this made the car difficult to drive. But we got plenty of data, so we have something to work on for tomorrow

]]>

6532

Positions

QUOTES:
Jarno: We have come to Turkey at a different time of year so temperatures are unlike what we have faced in the past. But that was a good day despite the mixed track conditions - dusty in the morning then rain in the afternoon. We made it through our programme of tyre and set-up work and we didn't have any problems. The car seems okay so far but there is still work to do in order to improve the handling. Now we have to work hard over the next two days to maintain our strong start to the season with a successful race
Timo: Both practice sessions went pretty well and the car felt good throughout the day. I also had a strong long run with competitive lap times. Graining and understeer were challenges today. On a late run I went off the track and couldn't stop the car from hitting the kerb and damaging the front wing. It was my mistake and I missed the last five minutes but it was nevertheless a good first day. I've had some successful races here in GP2 but it's difficult to overtake so qualifying is important this weekend. Our target has to be to get into the top ten tomorrow, as I did in the first two races this year
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test: Even though the weather was changeable we still made it through our programme and we collected the information that we wanted. So it was a positive day and we are in slightly better shape than we were in Barcelona. The cold weather doesn't seem to have changed too much about the circuit. In the morning the track was cleaned at the last minute and there were damp spots but it was not a problem for us. We planned to go out late anyway because we know that the circuit's dirty here at the start. That also means the tyres are difficult to evaluate because the track evolves through the sessions. So we still have to investigate that and make our decision for tomorrow. Now I hope we can build on today and come back to the performance level we showed at the beginning of the season

]]>

6531

Positions

QUOTES:
Nico: We covered quite a lot of ground today, especially on the aero side. We have definitely made some progress and are taking the right direction, but we are not 100% there yet. It was quite slippery out there, and not easy to keep the car on the track, but I don’t think the temperatures here are causing us too many problems, which is a plus.
Kazuki: Practice was good for me today. In the morning I struggled a little with the grip levels because the track was really slippery, but it improved a lot in the afternoon. The rain at the start of the second session prevented me from carrying out some of my scheduled programme, but I did at least do a tyre compare which has given us some useful information. We’re looking in reasonable shape for tomorrow’s qualifying; there’s still some work to do tonight on set-up, but I’m happy
Sam Michael - Technical Director: It was a reasonably productive day for us, especially taking into account the weather conditions. The track was damp at the start of the first session, due to track washing, and then it rained in the break so we had to start both sessions on wet tyres. Apart from that, we worked through our tyre comparison and have a good idea what direction we’ll take on the set-up for tomorrow.

]]>

6530

Mark Webber brought out the red flags during afternoon practice for the Turkish grand prix on Friday by crashing his Red Bull.

The Australian crashed his Renault-powered single seater at turn six of Istanbul's Otodrom venue, sustaining significant front end damage to both corners of the car.

The RB4 was covered up by team members as it was returned to pitlane.

The session was restarted at 2.37pm local.

]]>

6529 Driver Nat Team Time 1 Kimi Raikkonen Finnish Ferrari 1.27.543 2 Lewis Hamilton British McLaren 1.27.579 3 Felipe Massa Brazilian Ferrari 1.27.682 4 David Coulthard British Red Bull 1.27.763 5 Heikki Kovalainen Finish McLaren 1.27.954 6 Robert Kubica Polish BMW Sauber 1.28.431 7 Jarno Trulli Italian Toyota 1.28.619 8 Kazuki Nakajima Japanese Williams 1.28.664 9 Fernando Alonso Spanish Renault 1.28.681 10 Nick Heidfeld German BMW Sauber 1.28.817 11 Jenson Button British Honda 1.28.826 12 Timo Glock German Toyota 1.28.849 13 Nico Rosberg German Williams 1.28.907 14 Giancarlo Fisichella Italian Force India 1.29.008 15 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Honda 1.29.024 16 Nelson Piquet Brazilian Renault 1.29.212 17 Sebastian Vettel German Toro Rosso 1.29.462 18 Sebastien Bourdais French Toro Rosso 1.29.630 19 Mark Webber Australian Red Bull 1.29.633 20 Adrian Sutil German Force India 1.30.832 ]]>

6528 Formula one has reached a new computer game licensing deal, with the British company Codemasters, gaming websites reported on Friday.

The news follows reports earlier this week that said Bernie Ecclestone was at odds with F1's previous game developer, Sony Computer Entertainment, who last produced an official title for the Playstation in 2006.

The gaming websites on Friday said Codemasters has already begun development of its first official F1 game, which will be available on multiple gaming platforms in 2009.

"This alliance with formula one is the jewel in Codemasters' racing crown," CEO Rod Cousens is quoted as saying.

]]>

6527

World champion Kimi Raikkonen was stranded in last place in Friday morning practice at Istanbul, following a gearbox problem.

The Finn managed only three laps in his F2008, but word from the pitlane is that the broken unit will be repaired rather than replaced ahead of the afternoon session at 2pm.

Raikkonen's troubles were in stark contrast to the fortunes of his teammate, Felipe Massa, who topped the time sheets, despite a few spins.

]]>

6526

Morning practice got off to a quiet start at Istanbul Park on Friday.

The 'Otodrom' venue was declared wet by race control just prior to the green light at 10am, after circuit workers left the racing line between turns 3 and 9 damp following a late spate of cleaning activities.

For almost the entire opening hour of the 90 minute session, most runners opted simply for a one-lap installation before returning to the pits to wait for the circuit to dry.

Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel said the track was "particularly slippery" through the awesome turn 8 left-handers, and once the action got underway deep into the session, a few drivers - including Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa - had spins.

Meanwhile, race stewards are likely to look dimly upon Force India driver Fisichella's apparent running of the red light at the very beginning of the session.

]]>

6525 Driver Nat Team Time 1 Felipe Massa Brazilian Ferrari 1.27.323 2 Heikki Kovalainen Finish McLaren 1.27.456 3 Lewis Hamilton British McLaren 1.27.752 4 Fernando Alonso Spanish Renault 1.28.284 5 Jenson Button British Honda 1.28.919 6 Kazuki Nakajima Japanese Williams 1.29.002 7 Nick Heidfeld German BMW Sauber 1.29.024 8 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Honda 1.29.068 9 Nelson Piquet Brazilian Renault 1.29.082 10 Timo Glock German Toyota 1.29.103 11 Jarno Trulli Italian Toyota 1.29.329 12 Robert Kubica Polish BMW Sauber 1.29.330 13 Nico Rosberg German Williams 1.29.367 14 Adrian Sutil German Force India 1.29.756 15 Giancarlo Fisichella Italian Force India 1.29.811 16 Mark Webber Australian Red Bull 1.30.088 17 David Coulthard British Red Bull 1.30.340 18 Sebastien Bourdais French Toro Rosso 1.30.388 19 Sebastian Vettel German Toro Rosso 1.30.426 20 Kimi Raikkonen Finnish Ferrari 1.30.732 ]]>

6524

Fernando Alonso in Istanbul insisted that Renault's objective for the Turkish grand prix is to "confirm the improvement" to the R28 as shown at the last race.

After a disappointing start to the 2008 season, the former double world champion only narrowly missed taking pole position - albeit with the help of a light fuel load - at his home Spanish grand prix, before retiring with engine failure.

"It is important to confirm here what we saw at Barcelona," Alonso, 26, is quoted as saying by the Spanish news agency EFE in Turkey.

"We are not yet at the level of the top teams, but the goal is to get as close as possible to McLaren and BMW," he added.

"We need to know that we did not just go well on one circuit. So to confirm what we saw in Barcelona is our goal, because the next little step can put us up with the best teams," Alonso said.

He revealed that the next significant step for the R28 will appear on the car in the next "five or six" races.

Meanwhile, Alonso took an early bath from the F1 drivers' football team match on Wednesday to return to his Istanbul hotel to watch Real Madrid play Barcelona on TV.

For the record, Real Madrid secured an emphatic 4-1 win.

]]>

6523

A proposal to change the safety car rules could be in place in time for the Monaco grand prix in two weeks.

BMW motor sport director Mario Theissen in Istanbul admitted that his preferred solution would be to electronically limit the speed of cars upon deployment of the safety car, to prevent drivers from racing at high speed into the pits.

"This is not going to happen within the next few races," Theissen said.

The current rule, where the pitlane is simply closed after the deployment of the SC, is being criticised for unfairly punishing drivers who are out of fuel.

For now, FIA race director Charlie Whiting has proposed to simply impose a minimum time for caution sectors; a solution similar to the speed restrictions already in place for the formation laps prior to a grand prix, and the closing stages of 'Q3'.

"Charlie's proposal I think could be implemented immediately," Theissen explained. "That would be better than the present situation."

The German said the hoped the new rule will be in place in Monaco.

"Yes, because there, the risk of a safety car is the highest," he said.

The issue was due to be discussed in the team managers' meeting here at Istanbul.

]]>

6522

According to whispers in the Istanbul paddock, Ferrari may have found a way to creep ahead in the horse power department this season despite the current 'freeze' on engine development.

It is common knowledge that, not only are the Maranello based team's drivers getting the best starts off the grid, the V8 power plant in the back of the F2008 is now perhaps the most powerful in the entire field.

Last year, however, the engine situation between teams seemed closer, leading to suggestions that Ferrari's permitted tweaks for 2008 have added tangible performance to the unit.

The German magazine Auto Motor und Sport estimates Ferrari's horse power gain compared to last year at "within the two-digit range".

Most engine manufacturers made permitted tweaks to their V8 designs over the winter, but it is rumoured that some rival teams are unhappy that Ferrari's changes - apparently green-lighted by the FIA - seem to have resulted in a significant performance gain.

Auto Motor und Sport said Ferrari's rivals are concerned that the Italian team's 2008 changes were submitted "under the pretext of reliability problems".

"The (engine freeze) rules do not allow any great leaps. So whether a development has taken place to increase performance, I can not judge," BMW motor sport director Mario Theissen said at Istanbul Park.

"But I assume the normal procedures have taken place. I have no suspicions," he added.

]]>

6521 Michael Schumacher has made another attempt at anonymity for his nine-year-old son, as Mick Schumacher - already nicknamed 'Quick Mick' by the German press - embarks on a go-karting career.

After making his racing debut with the pseudonym Mick Betsch in Spain recently, Schumacher's youngster has now raced in Germany under the name Mika Krauthausen, the Cologne newspaper Express reports.

Mick was competing at his father's own Kerpen circuit in the 'Bambini Challenge'.

'Mika Krauthausen' - perhaps a nod to Schumacher's preferred F1 adversary Mika Hakkinen - reportedly moved from 25th to 13th in one race and from 13th to fifth in the second.

]]>

6520

Bernie Ecclestone in Turkey tried to put a positive spin on the Super Aguri collapse, as his formula one grid dwindles to just ten teams.

"More room," he answered.

"It means we have a lot more room now because the teams are expanding like crazy with their hospitality units and their trucks and everything. We're always running out of room," the F1 chief executive is quoted as saying by PA Sport.

The prescribed maximum for F1 is twelve teams.

"We're not looking for twelve teams, we're looking for ten," he said.

Ecclestone, 77, had been touted as a potential saviour of the Leafield based outfit, and its administrators this week expressed confidence that the outfit might be sold as a going concern.

But, presumably given the team's reportedly $100m debt to Honda, the Briton said he baulked at the price tag.

"I didn't want to put in 100 million, which is what was needed," Ecclestone said.

"For somebody else it might have been okay, but it wasn't for me."

Ecclestone is not confident that the administrators will find a buyer.

"There are a lot of people walking around with a begging bowl," he acknowledged.

]]>

6519

According to the odd taxi driver in Istanbul, this weekend's Turkish grand prix could be a wet one. For now, however, the official forecasts are for some showers on Friday, but otherwise a cool and dry Saturday and Sunday.

BMW-Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld is suffering from an irritating bout of hay-fever.

F1 stewards at the Otodrom venue confirmed that, because of the downfall of Super Aguri and the reduction of the field to just 20 runners, only five drivers will drop out at the end of the 'Q1' and 'Q2' segments in qualifying.

Previously, six of the 22 cars dropped out in each of the sessions, leaving the ten qualifiers in the final top-ten runout.

]]>

6518

Lewis Hamilton left onlookers bewildered on Thursday as he hung from a wire amid the backdrop of a huge Trojan horse on a Turkish theatre stage.

As reported, the McLaren driver was making a guest appearance at 'Troya'; an historical theatre show by a local folkdance troupe, before moving on to Istanbul to prepare for this weekend's grand prix.

But rather than donning the historic garb of Troya's actors, the 23-year-old was decked out in his sponsor-laden formula one overalls and swung around the stage attached to a wire.

British newspaper The Times' F1 correspondent Ed Gorman watched Hamilton's antics and described it as "an extremely odd occasion".

A columnist for the publication then wrote: "The horse Hamilton should be worrying about is the prancing one of Ferrari".

A reader, meanwhile, wrote on the Times' website: "He is acting like a plonker. I can't imagine Schumacher or Senna debasing themselves with such a stunt."

]]>

6517

At a mandatory FIA medical examination at Istanbul Park on Thursday, McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen was declared fit to contest the Turkish grand prix following his massive crash and hospitalisation at Barcelona two weeks ago.

"I feel 100 per cent, and if I had not felt 100 per cent I would have told the team already and stayed at home," the Finn, 26, said.

Kovalainen explained that his light concussion and delay in returning from Spain did not adversely affect his preparation for this race, adding that he has done "a lot of fitness training" in Finland in recent days.

Outside the Medical Centre at the circuit, he happily posed for photographers and gave interviews to the media.

"I think the accident probably looked worse than it was for me. I had a little headache but was back in training almost immediately," Kovalainen explained.

]]>

6516

Felipe Massa has set his sights on winning a third consecutive Turkish grand prix at the Istanbul Park venue this weekend.

On both of his previous visits to the Otodrom as a Ferrari driver, the Brazilian set pole and won; in 2006, the triumph was his first grand prix victory, in front of his legendary then teammate Michael Schumacher.

"It is a very special circuit for me, so what I say is, 'there is no two without three'.

"There is no need to hide my plans for the weekend. I want to achieve a trio of victories in Turkey," the 26-year-old added.

Massa says he followed his teammate Kimi Raikkonen home for second place at Barcelona two weeks ago after qualifying just third.

"I could then not win on a circuit that is very difficult to overtake on," he is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Right now, the competition with Kimi is strong and my second place was still a good result. On Sunday, however, I will try to win."

Massa currently lies fourth in the drivers' classification, eleven points behind championship leader Raikkonen.

He played down the disadvantage of having to use a race-old V8 engine at Istanbul, and a gearbox that has now contested a full three - of a mandatory four - races.

"It should not be a problem, given that the regulations allow some of the components to be looked at anyway when necessary," Massa said.

]]>

6515

German F1 driver Adrian Sutil enlisted the help of police after the owner of his old computer tried to blackmail him for 10,000 euros.

The magazine Auto Bild Motorsport will reveal in its Friday edition that a person from the German state of Bavaria came into the possession of a computer containing an abundance of the 25-year-old Force India driver's private information.

In return for 10,000 euros, the man offered to return the hard drive to Sutil, containing private emails, photos and bank transactions.

The blackmailer, who now faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail, was caught by police after a meeting was set up to exchange the money and data.

"I am glad that it is all over now," Sutil commented to the German newspaper Bild-Zeitung.

]]>

6514

McLaren reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa on Thursday morning said he did not yet know if he will be stepping into Heikki Kovalainen's race cockpit for the Turkish grand prix.

"I have no idea whether I will or not," the 37-year-old is quoted as saying by the news agency EP.

Regular driver Kovalainen spent the night in a Barcelona hospital with concussion following his huge crash during the Spanish grand prix two weeks ago.

Whether or not de la Rosa, a Spaniard who is ironically from the Catalan region, will need to step up to the race cockpit in Istanbul will be determined after Kovalainen's mandatory FIA medical exam at the Otodrom venue today.

De la Rosa said: "The important thing is that Heikki recovers one hundred per cent as soon as possible.

"I have not really changed anything about my preparation, because there is always the possibility that I will race.

"The only different thing is that I have strengthened the left side of my neck more than usual, because that is particularly important at this circuit," he added.

Mercedes-Benz competition boss Norbert Haug, meanwhile, explained that de la Rosa was put on standby to replace Kovalainen because he is "the most experienced" of McLaren's backup drivers, including the Briton Gary Paffett.

The German added that Kovalainen, 26, has been feeling better "with every passing day" since he resumed training in Finland last week.

]]>

6513

McLaren has finally got to the bottom of the cause of Heikki Kovalainen's huge crash during the Spanish grand prix two weeks ago.

Engine partner Mercedes-Benz's racing chief Norbert Haug has told German publications that the left front wheel rim broke due to a production error.

It had already emerged that the brand new wheel in question had only turned a few laps out of the box before it failed.

"A formula one rim is very complicated and comprises of several different alloys. Something has apparently gone wrong," he is quoted as saying by Bild newspaper.

McLaren's wheels are externally produced by the Japanese supplier Enkei, who are believed to now be reviewing the production and testing practices for its F1 products.

The German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reports that the wheels fitted to Lewis Hamilton's car at Barcelona were from a different Enkei batch.

]]>