20 August: Turkish Grand Prix - Qualifying Report - McLaren Mercedes
Team McLaren Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen will start tomorrow's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix from pole position after setting a
time of 1:26.797 in Saturday's qualifying session. This was Kimi's eighth career pole position and his fifth of the 2005 season.
Team mate Juan Pablo Montoya's lap time of 1:27.352, which was set early on in the qualifying session, means he will start from
fourth position on the grid.
KIMI RAIKKONEN "I'm pleased to claim the first pole position for Formula 1 in
Turkey. The lap was good but not perfect, and I lost a little bit of time in the last sector, but I knew I had some time in hand. We
had made some changes to the car overnight and everything worked really well during practice this morning, so we knew we would have
a strong chance for pole if everything went well. The circuit is great – it's so different from many of the others – especially
with the ups and downs. It will be a tough race tomorrow, but I am really looking forward to it. We have a lot to fight for and
hopefully we will be able to get the results we need and also put on a good show for the many Turkish spectators who will experience
Formula 1 live for the first time."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA "My qualifying lap was OK, but I know my time would
have been so much better if I had done it later in the session. The car is working well and I have been strong in all sessions so
far this weekend. The track is great and good fun to drive particularly when you have a competitive package and everything just
comes together. There is no reason why I can't be strong in the race."
RON DENNIS "We are obviously proud
to be able to claim the first ever Formula One pole position in Turkey. Kimi did a good lap and considering that Juan Pablo had to
set his time early in the session fourth place is a satisfactory outcome. It will be an interesting race tomorrow and we believe we
have a strong package, which combined with what we hope to prove a winning strategy, will help to achieve the results we require at
this stage of the Championship."
NORBERT HAUG "A great qualifying result with Kimi's pole position and a
good job from Juan Pablo with fourth place on the grid who had to do his qualifying lap in the early stages of today's session when
track conditions were still bad. Kimi and his team did a perfect job claiming their fifth pole position this season on this new race
track which is very challenging in terms of chassis, engine, tyres and drivers. Our basis for the race and the strategy should be
good. Hopefully Kimi will use the advantage of his pole position perfectly as the first corner will be crucial as you can't see the
entrance approaching it. The session was quite turbulent and proved how demanding the layout of the Istanbul racepark is."
