2007 Turkish Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Turkey
Grand Prix = Turkish
Date = 26 August
Year = 2007

---

Caption = The Istanbul Park Circuit
Race_No = 12
Season_No = 17
Official name = III Petrol Ofisi Turkish Grand Prix
Location = Istanbul Racing Circuit, Istanbul, Turkey
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 3.32
Course_km = 5.34
Distance_laps = 58
Distance_mi = 192.56
Distance_km = 309.72
Weather =
Pole_Driver = Felipe Massa
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:27.329
Pole_Country = Brazil
Fast_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:27.295
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Finland
First_Driver = Felipe Massa
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Brazil
Second_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
Second_Team = Ferrari
Second_Country= Finland
Third_Driver = Fernando Alonso
Third_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Third_Country = Spain

The 2007 Turkish Grand Prix was the twelfth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Won by Felipe Massa, it was held from 24 to August 26 at the Istanbul Park in Istanbul. It was the third time a Formula One race had been held here. The two previous winners of the race were Kimi Räikkönen in 2005 and Massa in 2006, both of whom race for Ferrari in 2007.

It came following considerable controversy after the 2006 event, where the organisers were fined $5,000,000 for political bias, due to their choice of Mehmet Ali Talat to present the winner's trophy. Talat is President of the Turkish Cypriot state, which is not an internationally recognised government. This was seen by the governing body of Formula One as having compromised their neutrality.

Lewis Hamilton came into the race with a 7 point lead over McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso after Hamilton's controversial victory in the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix. McLaren led Ferrari in the constructors' championship by 19 points despite not being allowed to score points in Hungary. However, the Ferrari had looked strong in recent weeks, and their two cars ultimately dominated the race from start to finish, Massa and Räikkönen taking first and second places respectively. A late puncture dropped Hamilton to fifth place and cut his championship lead over Alonso to five points.

During the press conference following the race, Massa commented that "the Istanbul Park was the track where he made his career turn-around, and finally began winning races." He also praised the track as well as the city. [cite web|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/8/6678.html |title=Turkish Grand Prix - selected driver quotes |publisher=F1.com |accessdate=2007-08-26]

Report

Race

Felipe Massa's Ferrari led from pole from team-mate Kimi Räikkönen who had jumped McLaren's Lewis Hamilton off the grid to take second place. Reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso's start from fourth was even worse than team-mate Hamilton's as he fell behind both BMW Saubers of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld into sixth. However, BMW's early stopping strategy led to Alonso taking both places back after the first round of pit-stops.At the first round of stops it seemed that Räikkönen could pass Massa if he stopped later, as he did at the French Grand Prix. However, Massa stopped after Räikkönen to retain the lead. Hamilton stopped later than both Ferraris and caught several seconds up to them, but could not pass Räikkönen for second, as he gradually fell away. Meanwhile, Kubica's strategy had not only dropped him behind Heidfeld and Alonso, but Renault's Heikki Kovalainen too.Massa stopped later than Räikkönen again at the second pit stop, and therefore retained the lead as Ferrari called the race between team-mates off at this point. Hamilton may have emerged ahead of Räikkönen , but a puncture in his front tyre dropped him to fifth behind Heidfeld and Alonso. Damage to his front wing led to Kovalainen catching him, but the Finn was unable to pass Hamilton. Kubica lost a place to Nico Rosberg through strategy finishing eighth.Massa eventually won his second consecutive Turkish Grand Prix, and his fifth Grand Prix win overall, all of which came from pole position. He had secured his eighth pole in qualifying.
Mark Webber of Red Bull Racing was the only retirement, with a hydraulic failure. Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi ended a run of 9 consecutive retirements stretching back to the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.

Classification

Qualifying

:* Jenson Button was given a ten-place grid penalty for an engine change after qualifying. [cite web |title=Button to start last after engine change |publisher=ITV F1 |date=2007-08-25 |url=http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40438|accessdate=2007-08-25] :* Rubens Barrichello was given a ten-place grid penalty for an engine change before the race. [cite web |title=Barrichello also changes engine |publisher=autosport.com |date=2007-08-26 |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61799|accessdate=2007-08-26]

Race

Notes

*Fastest L
Kimi Räikkönen, 1:27.295 (Lap 57, 220.136 km/h)
*Lap Leaders: Felipe Massa 55 (1–19, 22–42, 44–58), Lewis Hamilton 1 (20), Heikki Kovalainen 1 (21), Fernando Alonso 1 (43).
* Although Adrian Sutil retired, he still completed enough laps to be a classified finisher. Therefore this race recorded the highest number of classified finishers—21—in a championship race, a record held since the 2005 Italian Grand Prix, where 20 cars finished.

References

External links

* [http://www.manipef1.com/results/2007/turkey.php Detailed Turkish Grand Prix results]

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Turkish Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2007
Previous_race_in_season = 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2007 Italian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 2006 Turkish Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2008 Turkish Grand Prix