21 August: Turkish Grand Prix - Race Report - McLaren Mercedes
Team McLaren Mercedes drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya finished today's inaugural Turkish Grand Prix in first and
third positions. Both drivers were on two stop strategies for the 58-lap race. Kimi came in for fuel on laps 22 (10.0 seconds) and
45 (6.2 seconds), whilst Juan Pablo pitted on laps 21 (7.9 seconds) and 41 (7.7 seconds). Juan Pablo posted the fastest lap of the
race on lap 39 with 1:24.770. Kimi remains second in the Drivers' World Championship with 71 points and Juan Pablo moved to fourth
with 40 points. Team McLaren Mercedes also remains second in the Constructors' rankings with 121 points.
KIMI RAIKKONEN "I'm
very happy to win the first ever Turkish Grand Prix. We arrived here with a strong basis thanks to the work put in back at base
which definitely made our weekend a lot easier. I didn't make the best of starts as I had bit of wheel spin which allowed Fisichella
to pass. However he ran wide later on the first lap which allowed me to re-take the lead. I was pushing as hard as I could, but we
knew our strategy would work, so really after the first pitstop I could be safe. I had a few scary moments with traffic which is
always frustrating, but there is no doubt that our package is really quick. As a team we were a little bit unlucky today with what
happened to Juan Pablo. At the end of the season two points can make all the difference, and all we can do is just to keep on
winning. It's been a great visit to Turkey for me, and I can't wait for Monza."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA "I'm
obviously disappointed to lose second place so close to the end of the race to Alonso. I had lapped Monteiro in the Jordan, but I
think he must have locked up under braking and went into the back of me. The car felt OK for the first couple of corners after this,
but when I came back to the pits after the race I could see that my entire diffuser at the back of the car had been destroyed. I
then ran wide in turn eight which allowed Alonso to pass. I'm a bit disappointed as my car was very quick and the strategy was
right, so second place would have been fairly easy. I had a bit of an incident in my first pitstop when the fuel nozzle got stuck,
but that didn't really cost me too much time. I'm sad for the team because a one-two would have been really good for the
Championships."
RON DENNIS "A very good race for the team and an excellent result for Kimi who drove a
consistent and disciplined race. He made sure that he didn't get involved in any incidents. Our strategy proved to be superior, and
two podium places are a good reward for the team's efforts. Regarding Juan Pablo's incident it should be noted that somebody who has
been lapped already twice should make certain that he leaves enough room. The damage caused by the accident and Juan Pablo's off at
Turn eight prevented us from achieving a one-two. We are looking forward to the rest of the season"
NORBERT HAUG "Congratulations
to Kimi on a convincing victory and an outstanding performance. We saw a super race at the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix and a good
speed of our package on this technically demanding circuit. Unfortunately a twice lapped competitor who ran into the back of Juan
Pablo – certainly not on purpose – prevented the team from scoring a 1-2 victory today. However we are pleased with the
performance of both Kimi and Juan Pablo and the car on one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar. We are now looking
forward to the rest of the season and will work hard to maintain our competitiveness."
