Turkish GP: Brawn GP and Button Must Confirm Their Supremacy
It is an almost perfect start to the season for Brawn GP and Jenson Button, with five victories in the first six races of the 2009 season. This weekend in Istanbul, the team will introduce new changes; however, if the Englishman wins, he could break Michael Schumacher’s record with 7 victories at the start of […]
It is an almost perfect start to the season for Brawn GP and Jenson Button, with five victories in the first six races of the 2009 season. This weekend in Istanbul, the team will introduce new changes; however, if the Englishman wins, he could break Michael Schumacher’s record with 7 victories at the start of the season.
Jenson Button – racing driver
« The Turkish Grand Prix is always a race I look forward to because I really enjoy driving on the Istanbul Park circuit and have also been very competitive here in the past. Hermann Tilke did an excellent job designing this track. The elevation changes make it very fun and challenging for drivers. We’ve seen excellent races at Istanbul Park with overtaking opportunities at turns one and three. You can also overtake at turns nine, twelve, and thirteen if you brake late enough while maintaining the same line. Turn eight is obviously the corner everyone talks about, and it’s probably the longest corner I’ve ever driven. The G-force is very high, up to 5 Gs for seven seconds, which puts a lot of strain on your neck. You must be as consistent as possible in the triple apex because if you go wide, it’s a place where you lose a lot of time. »
Rubens Barrichello – race car driver
« Istanbul Park is a very intense circuit, as it is one of the tracks that run in reverse, just like the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo. It is difficult to drive on a reverse track because the muscles on that side of your neck are not as well trained, which requires additional training to prepare for the fast corners of Istanbul Park. The lap itself has a smooth flow, allowing you to find a good rhythm, and the highlight is the high-speed Turn 8, which is a fast, blind triple apex, providing an extra challenge. The circuit is one of the best modern tracks on the calendar, and I have been very impressed since we started racing here in 2005. The facilities are fantastic, but especially from a driver’s perspective, the circuit produces very good races. »
