IN A new series, I will be looking back at six classic races every weekend from the country about to stage an event in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship. As Turkey has only held seven races before and not all of them have been classics, here is a varied selection of events from events no longer on the F1 calendar, plus two races from Turkey between 1991 and 2010. Enjoy the archive!
1991 – France
WINNER: Nigel Mansell (Williams Renault), 2nd: Alain Prost (Ferrari), 3rd: Ayrton Senna (McLaren Honda)
RICCARDO Patrese started from pole position for the first French Grand Prix to be staged on the new Magny-Cours circuit, but he made one of the worst starts of his career, and never recovered from it here. The battle for victory was between Alain Prost, on home soil in an uncompetitive Ferrari and Nigel Mansell’s Williams. Mansell had a slower tyre stop, but managed to catch and pass Prost twice, eventually scoring a long first overdue victory of 1991. Ayrton Senna was a distant third, holding off a similar hard challenge from Jean Alesi, with Patrese a disappointing and lapped fifth.
1997 – Argentina
WINNER: Jacques Villeneuve (Williams Renault), 2nd: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 3rd: Ralf Schumacher (Jordan Peugeot)
FORTUNE and a more competitive chassis saw Jacques Villeneuve win an absolutely barnstorming Argentine Grand Prix, but he had to work really hard all day. His main rival for the championship in 1997, Michael Schumacher took himself out of the event on the first corner. The German tangled with the Stewart of Rubens Barrichello, who also picked up severe damage. Initially, it was Olivier Panis who was threatening Villeneuve, before engine trouble hit his Prost. Eventually, the Canadian, who was battling a stomach bug all weekend, had to resist stern pressure from Eddie Irvine. Although he chased him home hard, Irvine never really got close enough to make a sufficient overtaking attempt, and finished a close 0.9secs behind. Jordan’s Ralf Schumacher, in only his third ever F1 outing scored a podium finish. However, he achieved this at the cost of a fruitful relationship with his team, knocking off Giancarlo Fisichella and starting a civil war between the pair.
1999 – Austria
WINNER: Eddie Irvine (Ferrari), 2nd: David Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes), 3rd: Mika Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes)
AUSTRIA 1999 was David Coulthard’s worst nightmare. Not only did the Scot run into his team-mate Mika Hakkinen on the first lap, he allowed Ferrari to score an unlikely victory. McLaren had been a full second quicker than the opposition in qualifying, missing Michael Schumacher, who was starting his recovery from a broken leg at Silverstone a fortnight earlier. However, Coulthard tried an ambitious lunge on Hakkinen, which ended in contact at the second corner. The Flying Finn recovered from a spin and 21st at the end of the opening lap, to finish an incredible third. Coulthard sped 14 second clear at one point, but Eddie Irvine went longer on strategy, and with some blistering Schumacher-esque laps, overtook the Scot for his second win of the season and it threw the world title race wide open again. Coulthard’s and Hakkinen’s expressions spoke volumes on the rostrum afterwards.
2005 - Bahrain
WINNER: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 2nd: Jarno Trulli (Toyota), 3rd: Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren Mercedes)
NEVER mind motorsport, but tennis was dangerous to Juan Pablo Montoya. A freak accident left the Colombian with a fractured shoulder and out of the Bahrain event. He wasn’t missed by the McLaren team, as super sub Pedro de la Rosa set fastest lap and finished a stunning fifth in an action-packed event. It was one of the hottest races ever in history, and Michael Schumacher’s hydraulics couldn’t take the heat. They gave up on his new Ferrari after 12 laps. With Rubens Barrichello only 9th after gearbox troubles, Ferrari’s gamble on saving their 2005 season with a new car had backfired spectacularly. The path was clear for Fernando Alonso to record back-to-back victories, with Jarno Trulli’s Toyota finishing second for the second successive race. Kimi Raikkonen earnt his first podium of the season, to highlight McLaren’s impressive pace in the desert.
2006 – Turkey
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| NOTCH: Massa led Schumacher all the way to glory in 2006 |
WINNER: Felipe Massa (Ferrari), 2nd: Fernando Alonso (Renault), 3rd: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
THIS was the weekend when Felipe Massa really came good and went up a level in his F1 career. Massa took pole position and his maiden Grand Prix victory in a nail-biting climax. The start was just as chaotic, as Giancarlo Fisichella spun infront of the pack and caused mayhem. Kimi Raikkonen, Scott Speed and Nick Heidfeld all suffered significant damage, with Raikkonen eliminated after a pitstop for checks. As Massa led from the front, the Safety Car was deployed after Vitantonio Liuzzi spun his Toro Rosso and stalled on the exit of Turn One. Championship rivals Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher swapped places in the pits, as Schumacher was held up, having to queue up for Massa to be serviced first. In the dying stages, the retiring German did all he could to pass Alonso, but like at Imola in 2005, he couldn’t find a way through and had to settle for third. As Schumacher couldn’t find a way through, Massa was allowed to win his first event in Formula One.
2010 - Turkey
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| RIVALRY: Began after this Red Bull collision last season |
WINNER: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren Mercedes), 2nd: Jenson Button (McLaren Mercedes), 3rd: Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing Renault)
RED Bull Racing totally shot themselves in the foot last season, when under pressure from McLaren. Mark Webber began from pole position and led the first 40 laps. A slow pitstop dropped Lewis Hamilton behind Sebastian Vettel, but Hamilton and Jenson Button stayed right on the tails of the Red Bulls throughout. On Lap 41, Vettel, with a higher engine setting, went to overtake Webber. The Aussie left minimal room and Sebastian made his way past. However, he began to deviate right before a car length’s room was given and they collided. Vettel span into retirement, whilst Webber had to pit for a new front wing, surviving for a podium finish. The McLaren’s of Hamilton and Button had a similar dice later, which saw the duo swap the lead. However, they kept it clean to secure a 1-2 for the British team; Hamilton’s first win of 2010. Although most experts thought Vettel was to blame for the Red Bull clash, the management seemed to shoulder the blame onto Webber. This began a fractious summer for the pair and the Milton Keynes based team.
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