[Official] Turkish Grand Prix 2020: Grand Prix Weekend - Round 14 of 17

[Born Racer]

It was maybe a pleasant surprise in 2005, when with no Formula 1 pedigree, the sport arrived at Istanbul Park for the first Turkish Grand Prix and the track was so universally popular. It should perhaps not have been so unanticipated, but many proclaimed it Hermann Tilke's best track. Fast, replete with intriguing elevation shifts and boasting the behemoth that is the four-apex Turn 8, it was a loss when it was dropped from the calendar and a joy that it crops up in this extraordinary 2020 season.

Then-McLaren racer Kimi Räikkönen won the inaugural outing in 2005, while team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya finished 3rd after running 2nd when he collided with Jordan's Tiago Monteiro. Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber also clashed. Fernando Alonso was runner-up in the Renault.

The next year, Sebastian Vettel made his race weekend debut for BMW in Friday practice and six seconds in, sped in the pitlane, for which he received a $1000 fine. Ferrari's Felipe Massa took his first pole position and converted into his debut victory, while team-mate Schumacher came home 3rd, right on Alonso's heels.

Massa won again in 2007, as team-mate Räikkönen was 2nd and Alonso 3rd for McLaren. In 2008, Hamilton was the filling in the Ferrari sandwich, with Massa making it a hat-trick of Ferrari wins

2009 was Jenson Button's world championship-winning season and the Brawn driver took his seventh win in six races, but what would be his last of the year, after pole-sitter Vettel ran wide on Lap 1. The Red Bull driver eventually finished 3rd, with team-mate Webber in 2nd.

Mark Webber led Lewis Hamilton from pole in 2010, and the McLaren driver dropped behind Vettel when a wheel was not fitted correctly at a pit stop. Webber was conserving fuel as per Red Bull instructions, when Vettel, ignoring similar guidance, ran a higher engine mode and caught up with his team-mate, eventually tangling with him at Turn 12 as he attempted a pass and swept back across in front of him. Vettel was out, but Webber recovered to 3rd, behind winner Lewis Hamilton and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button. A brief shower amounted to little.

Red Bull somewhat made amends in 2011, with Vettel leading home Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, before the race was dropped from the calendar when funding to pay the new race fee fid not materialise. At least, in this 2020 season, there is a shift away from such negotiations and a plethora of superb tracks are featuring. With these cars, Istanbul Park will be mighty.



Circuit length: 5.338km
Number of laps: 58
Race distance: 309.396km
Race Lap Record: 1:24.770 (Juan Pablo Montoya - McLaren-Mercedes - 2005)
Dry weather tyre compounds: C1, C2 & C3
First Turkish Grand Prix: 2005



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