Crash.net looks ahead to round five of the 2008 Formula One world championship, at the Istanbul Park circuit in Turkey.
The reshuffled Formula One calendar comes across its first misplaced race at Istanbul Park this weekend but, while time and place may be different, the situation at the front of the field has an air of familiarity about it.
Ferrari continues to hold sway after the opening European round of the season, in Barcelona, two weeks ago, having strengthened its position in both drivers' and constructors' championships with a second straight 1-2 finish. After Felipe Massa headed Kimi Raikkonen across the line in Bahrain, the order was reversed in Spain to move the Finn into a commanding nine-point lead in the individual title race, while Ferrari moved above BMW Sauber in the teams' competition, and now holds a twelve-point advantage after comfortably out-scoring its opponents at the Circuit de Catalunya.
If anyone is hoping that round five may bring a change of fortune for those chasing hard, they ought to be reminded of the identity of the winner in each of the last two Turkish grands prix. Although he missed out in the first running of the event - which was won by current team-mate Raikkonen during his McLaren days - Felipe Massa has proven to be something of an expert around the Istanbul Park layout, and will be out to complete a hat-trick on Sunday, even though the race has moved forward three months and should be run in much cooler conditions than any of the previous editions. Unless anyone comes up with a radical improvement, expect much the same red tide to sweep over Turkey as has already been seen in Bahrain and Spain.
By its own rising standards, BMW Sauber endured a poor weekend in Spain, with only Robert Kubica scoring points, and in fourth place - the team's first return without a podium. The Pole was again impressive, qualifying ahead of both McLarens, but crucially losing out to Lewis Hamilton on the run to turn one. From there, he was forced to stare at his former F3 rival's rear wing for the rest of the afternoon. Team-mate Nick Heidfeld was robbed of a potential points finish by the timing of the race's main safety car period, which left him gasping for fuel and then attempting to make up for the resulting penalty. Now just a point ahead of McLaren in the constructors' table, the team will hope to get both its drivers into the top eight this weekend.
McLaren, meanwhile, will hope to get both its drivers to the chequered flag after the scare it suffered with Heikki Kovalainen in Barcelona. The Finn appeared on course for another strong result - having moved to the front of the field with a heavier fuel load than his rivals - when he suffered a suspected wheel rim failure that sent the MP4-23 spearing into the tyre barrier. Kovalainen was taken to hospital and detained overnight with bruising and concussion, but hopes to be back in action in Turkey. Hamilton, meanwhile, got himself up into third when Fernando Alonso retired, and held on to return to the podium for the first time since winning the season-opening Australian GP in March. The Briton, however, will draw on one of his most memorable GP2 performances - coming from last to second in Istanbul in 2006 - as he attempts to overhaul the deficit between McLaren and Ferrari.
Renault emerged at the head of the ever-changing midfield battle in Spain - and how. Alonso and team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr arrived in Barcelona confident that gains made with the R28 in pre-race testing might out-strip those of their rivals, but no-one expected the local hero to put his car on the front row. With Piquet also making the top ten shootout, things looked good for a return to the points, but it wasn't to be, with both drivers out early. Confidence remains high, however, with engineering director Pat Symonds seeing no reason why the performance can't be repeated in Turkey, especially with more development parts due and Piquet knowing what it takes to win there.
With neither Renault making it to the end of the race, it was left to Red Bull Racing to take up the mantle of 'best of the rest', with Mark Webber putting in another solid performance to take fifth place. The Australian took up his near-customary spot in the final phase of qualifying and made it count on Sunday, running a lonely race between the expected frontrunners and those battling for the minor points. Team-mate David Coulthard also made the finish, but will hope for a less eventful outing in Turkey after again being assaulted by rivals in Barcelona. This time, Germany took its turn to gang up on the Scot, with both Adrian Sutil and Timo Glock hitting the RB4 on its way to twelfth spot.
Heidfeld, Kovalainen and Alonso missing out on points provided a rare opportunity for some unfamiliar faces to break into the top eight, although it still seems strange to think of Jenson Button as a surprise scorer. However, given Honda's recent woes, sixth place was a welcome improvement for the Briton, especially after again missing the cut for the final phase of qualifying. Astute tactics saw Button run long in the middle of the race, vaulting him up the order just as team-mate Rubens Barrichello dropped out, the victim of a pit-lane collision with Giancarlo Fisichella. The Brazilian will make history just by taking to the grid this weekend, as he finally overhauls Riccardo Patrese's long-standing starts record. Barrichello is rumoured to be running a special livery to mark his achievement.
Kazuki Nakajima also took advantage of the unusual absence of the some of the bigger names to return to the points in Spain, but there wasn't too much good news for Williams team-mate Nico Rosberg, who retired with a blown engine in the closing stages. The Grove team, after starting the year brightly, appears to be in danger of dropping to the tail of the midfield battle, and could face unfamiliar rivals if the likes of Force India continue to move in the opposite direction.
For now, however, Williams will continue to face the likes of RBR, Renault and engine partner Toyota in a four-way scrap for 'best of the rest' supremacy, with Jarno Trulli again adding to the latter's tally. The Italian could have been on Webber's tail had he not been forced to to make an addition - and unnecessary - pit-stop in Barcelona, and will be looking to redress the balance this weekend. Team-mate Glock continued his re-education in F1 by claiming eleventh place, but not before clouting Coulthard's Red Bull and requiring attention as a result. While his position isn't likely to be under threat, the German will want to start pushing for points before long.
Glock's indiscretion allowed Force India and Fisichella to record their first top ten result of the season - and the team's first ever - as the VJM01 continued to show improvement. While there will be no new parts on board for Turkey - as the team prepares for Monaco later in the month - technical chief Mike Gascoyne sees no reason why the team cannot continue to press for the top tens. Qualifying remains the team's bugbear, however, with practice pace not being carried into Saturday afternoon in Spain, and all concerned know that this needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Adrian Sutil, meanwhile, also needs to focus on the opening phase of the race, having reverted to type and notched a first lap retirement after making a risky move on Coulthard and wiping out fellow German Sebastian Vettel into the bargain.
Vettel's third opening lap retirement in four races continued Scuderia Toro Rosso's miserable start to the year - the team has actually lost at least one car on the first lap of every race so far in 2008 - and will be something it hopes to address as the STR2B makes its final appearance. The uprated 2007 car had originally been due for pensioning off after Barcelona, but Sebastien Bourdais' testing accident with its replacement has meant that the STR3 will not now make its debut until Monaco.
Toro Rosso will probably find itself struggling to avoid the back of the field this weekend, not only because it is being forced to run an ageing machine, but also because of the demise of Super Aguri F1 in the run-up to the Istanbul race. The struggling Leafield outfit had been a doubt for Barcelona, but made it through thanks to help from Honda and, it is alleged, Bernie Ecclestone. The ringmaster could not help - and Honda would not - this time around, however, and even a last-ditch bid from German automotive engineers Weigl could not prevent team boss Aguri Suzuki from bowing to the inevitable, leaving F1 with just ten teams and a loyal workforce looking for alternative employment.
