2008 Turkish GP preview: predictions
Are we set for another red-wash in Turkey? It’s a brave man that bets against the might of Ferrari with the streak of success they’re riding at the moment.
Who do you think will win in Turkey? Can I predict the podium correctly for the second race in a row? How did you get on last time? Read on to find out.
An important change this year sees the Turkish Grand Prix in May rather than September, meaning track temperatures should be lower. However, Bridgestone are bringing the same tyre compounds as they did last year.
Getting the most performance out of the tyres is fundamentally important and Ferrari have been the best team at doing that so far this year, partly thanks to their history with tyre supplier Bridgestone which runs longer than any of their immediate rivals.
So who will do the best here? With lower temperatures and hard tyres it might just play into McLaren’s hands, as they have been working their tyres much harder than their rivals. That worked to their detriment in the heat of Bahrain and Sepang but at Istanbul it might just work the other way.
Add to that the fact that Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen both have new engines for this race and Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are both on their second race with theirs.
BMW have not brought any significant updates to Istanbul so I don’t expect them to move ahead of McLaren – although they do reckon they have gotten to the bottom of their start line problems.
I think we’ll see a McLaren split the Ferraris at this race and I also think we’ll see more of Raikkonen exerting his leadership over Massa. Here’s my podium prediction:
1. Kimi Raikkonen
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Felipe Massa
Congratulations to Journeyer, Schumacherthegreatestever (no way am I typing all those capitals) and Trish who join me in the smug corner having predicted the podium correctly last time out. But can we do it again?
It’s over to you…
My bets
1. Massa
2. Kimi
3. Heikki
Kimi
Kubica
Hamilton
1.Massa
2.Hamilton
3.Kovalainen
I reckon that BMW will sneak onto the podium and McLaren will continue the slide for this race.
1.Massa
2.Kimi
3.Kubica
On another note when does this one tyre supplier deal run out? It seems that Ferrari have an incredibly unfair advantage with everyone having to run on Bridgestone.
I’ll reserve my comments till Saturday practice
1. Massa
2. Hamiton
3. Kubica.
Button to come 5th
my original bet was Sato to win, but as he is not racing now, have to go with Ferrari:
Massa
Kimi
Kovalainen
LOL @ Milos
1 Kimi
2 Massa
3 Heidfield
anyone watch practise this morning?. Heikki’s on the warpath and Hamilton suffered a right rear puncture. While fast the MClaren’s look “wobbly*” which is probably suspension issues, might hinder them in the long stints.
*sorry for the technical jargon
Cooler temps and lack of TC will make it a little different (and more interesting) than before. Less heat is certainly good news for the drivers but might be tougher on the soft compounds. Nevertheless I think the Ferrari team knows Bridgestone tyres just too well…
Hence my prediction:
1. Raikkonen
2. Massa
3. Kubica
(Massa will have the pole but lose the lead to Kimi during his pitstops)
1. Raikkonen
2. Hamilton
3. Button
i thinki exactly the same as spain cant see hamilton splitting the feraris because he can get past them in qualifying and if alonso goes light again he could hold him up for the 1st stint.
kimi
massa
hamilton
Hmmm… I’ll disagree with Keith on this one – ever so slightly.
Raikkonen
Massa
Kubica
Massa
Hamilton
Kubica
1. Massa
2. Raikkonen
3. Kovalainen
And just for the sake for it: Heidfeld will come 5th, Webber 7th, Button 8th
QUALIFYING:
1º)Lewis
2º)Massa
3º)Kimi
RACE:
1º)Lewis
2º)Kimi
3º)Massa
Slightly off-topic question: why do some people refer to some drivers by their first names, and others by their last names?
In my case, it depends on how I’m feeling, whether I’ve mentioned that particular driver in the last few minutes (or earlier in the comment) and on the particular driver. For instance, I always refer to the Sebs in Toro Rosso by their last names because otherwise I’m liable to confuse myself, but Heikki and Kimi, for instance generally get referred to by their first name. A few of them (notably Coulthard and Fisichella) get referred to by nicknames – I can’t explain why I end up nicknaming specific ones, but once it starts happening, I have considerable trouble not using the nicknames.
Just to complicate matters, I also try to make my comments internally consistent, which means that (at least on the first mention) I generally refer to every driver in a long comment the same way round (most often the surname).
Depends how difficult it is to spell their respective name’s.
Kimi and Heikki are much easier on our fingers than Raikkenoun and Kovilinen.
I’ll try to pin it this time:
1. Raikkonen
2. Hamilton
3. Massa
does anyone know why Kimi didn’t do a practise run this morning?. apparently it was to save his tyres, but why? its practise, I thought you were allowed unlimited tyres in practise.
No he had gearbox trouble in the first session.
Kimi was very very disapoinnted to his car in friday practice, but said it should be good in qualifying. Never know…Kimi takes pole if he can make his car good for him, otherwise Massa takes pole before Kimi and Alonso.
So…
Qualifying: 1. Massa
2. Kimi
3. Alonso
GP: 1. Kimi
2. Massa
3. hmmmmmmm……Kubica
1. Kimi
2. Kovy
3. Kuby
1-Massa
2-Kimi
3-Ham
Same as Toncho…
1. Massa
2. Kimi
3. Hamilton
1. Massa
2. Kubica
3. Hamilton
DNF – Raikkonen (breakdown)
1. Hamilton
2. Kubica
3. Massa
1. Kimi
2. Heiki
3. Heidfeld
pole. kimi
fastest lap. kimi
DNF. massa
Alonso, ends out of points
1. Sebastian
2. Sebastien
3. Timo
Call it a hunch…
Such a hunch would put Quasimodo to shame
So no-one got it right?
Strange, considering it was the usual suspects….