B.A.R Honda returns from the summer break eager for the challenge of the six remaining races in the 2005 Formula One World Championship. Following four points scoring races and a strong two-car finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Jenson Button and Takuma Sato came home in 5th and 8th places respectively, the B.A.R Honda team is firmly focused on maintaining its momentum when it arrives at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul next week.
Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus strait, the stretch of water which creates a natural north-south divide in the city and joins the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. European Istanbul comprises the majority of the city to the west, while Asian Istanbul lies to the east. European Istanbul is itself divided by the Golden Horn (Haliç) into the old city to the south and Beyoglu and other modern districts to the north.
B.A.R Honda race driver Jenson Button and third driver Anthony Davidson visited the city and new Otodrom circuit, host of the Turkish Grand Prix, to see at first hand the track and its facilities under construction back in April 2005.
JENSON BUTTON ON THE TURKISH GRAND PRIX "I was really impressed by the layout of the circuit. The design is very interesting and I think it's going to make for some very good racing. The undulations that are part of the circuit make it very exciting from the driver's point of view - especially when it comes to overtaking and in qualifying when you are pushing to the limit trying to find braking points for the corners when you can hardly see the corners. It also makes for some very good viewing for the spectators. I can't wait to race there, although it will be very physical because it is one of only three anti-clockwise tracks we race at, and it will be incredibly hot."
TAKUMA SATO ON THE TURKISH GRAND PRIX "It is always exciting to go to a new grand prix, especially in a country that I have not yet visited. From what I have seen so far, the circuit looks great. It is very difficult to know exactly what a new track will be like from two dimensional pictures, so the best way to get to know a circuit is to walk and drive around it first hand. I have had a good rest over the break and have been training hard. We are expecting the race to be very hot and physical, so it is important to stick to our fitness program between the races. I hope that we have a good race at the Turkish GP, to start the last of the remaining races with a strong performance."
GIL DE FERRAN, SPORTING DIRECTOR "The team comes back refreshed from a much needed break over the last three weeks to probably one of the events that I am most looking forward too. I hear from Jenson who visited the Istanbul circuit earlier this year that the layout is unique and challenging from a driver's standpoint, which should make for some very spectacular scenes. From a team point of view, we have completed a lot of computer simulation to enable the drivers' to prepare as much as possible prior to the race and to do our best in determining the downforce, gear ratios and suspension set up that we will need. Probably the most challenging task has been for Michelin in trying to predict the best compound without ever having run on the Istanbul circuit. Both Honda and Michelin have done a lot of homework for this race, so we look forward to hitting the track on Friday."
SHUHEI NAKAMOTO, ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, HONDA RACING DEVELOPMENT "With no track testing since Hungary, engine development work has been concentrated on dyno work both in Japan and the UK. We have made good progress through the season, which we need to continue for the last six races. Turkey will be another hot race, which is a challenge for us, but new countries, new tracks and new experiences are always welcome, so we're very much looking forward to it."
The Circuit
Race distance - 58 laps (309.604km) Circuit length - 5.388km Race Start - 15:00 GMT
The site of the Istanbul Otodrom is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, 6km from the junction of Kurtkoy on the north side of TEM Motorway, linking Istanbul to Ankara. The site is close to the newly constructed Sabiha Gokcen Istanbul Airport. The site is located within a green belt surrounded by forest and cultivated green fields.
The total area of the Otodrom complex is 2,215,000m2. The circuit has been designed by Herman Tilke and runs in a counter-clockwise direction. It is 5,333m long with an average width of 14 - 21.5m, excluding runoff areas. The track is composed of 13 curves, of which 6 are right turns and 7 left turns. The sharpest corner has a radius of 15m. The start and finish section is 655.5m in length and the whole track runs over 4 level sections with undulating gradients. The maximum theoretical speed expected to be achieved will be 320.5 Km/h.
The main Grandstand is situated in an area covering 12,700m2 and has a seating capacity of 30,000 spectators. In addition, the temporary stands and natural ground stands will provide a total capacity of over 155,000 spectators. The hospitality floor of the Paddock buildings provides additional viewing for 5,000 VIP's and guests. There are two VIP towers at the ends of the paddock buildings, each consisting of 7 floors providing a floor space of 7,392 m2.
The main parking areas, with the total parking capacity of 20,000 are located along the outer peripheral ring road which is 5,482m in length and will facilitate the movement of traffic on the outer limits of the project area.
In addition, the project consists of 2.3 km of inner service roads and emergency lanes. There are 4 under-passes and 3 pedestrian over passes linking the natural ground stands and temporary moveable stands with the parking areas. The central area is reserved for the construction of a Go-Cart Racing track.
