Ferrari Struggle In Turkey

By Dale Calkins
August 20 2005

Ferrari struggled in the first two free practices sessions for the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul. A severe lack of grip saw both Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello way down the time sheets during both sessions.

Badoer Prepares Ferrari

Ferrari Struggle In Turkey	Dale Calkins
Michael Schumacher FP 1: 8th - 1'29.766 FP 2: 13th - 1'28.293 After a strong result in the Hungarian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher was looking to turn thingsa around at Ferrari. Unfortunately, the Turkish Grand Prix may put a stop to that. Schumacher suffered from a lack of grip in both sessions, caused by the dusty circuit and his Bridgestone tyres that aren't suited to that. Here is what the 7-Time World Champion had to say about his sessions: "I think the impression I formed of this track after riding around it on a scooter yesterday was misleading. I thought it did not seem that difficult, but now in the car, with a much lower seating position, it looks very different. It is not particularly difficult to learn which way it goes, however it has its own unique character. Some corners, such as Turn 1, have a blind exit which makes it very interesting. Turn 8 is another challenging corner as it has several possible lines. As usual, for the first day on a new track, we have to adjust the car to suit the circuit and we have to improve in this area because the car is still sliding too much in some corners. There is still a lot to do." Rubens Barrichello FP 1: 17th - 1'31.294 FP 2: 15th - 1'28.460 Rubens Barrichello was even further down the order today as he could not seem to find a proper balance at all. The first session was especially poor for Barrichello as he was down in 17th position. Rubens will have to work very hard to prepare the car ready for the race on Sunday. Here is what the Brazilian had to say after his first day: I had a difficult day because I could not find the right balance, even though I worked a lot on the car. It improved a bit towards the end of the day, but I am still far from happy. There is still a lot of work to do to make the right tyre choice and to find that balance. I like the track very much even though it was a bit dirty today. There are some fantastic corners and I think that, physically, it will be a hard race, especially on the neck muscles." Ross Brawn Technical Director Ferrari's Technical Director Ross Brawn was worried about Ferrari's immediate pace, but is certain that they will improve over the weekend. Here is what Ross had to say: "Dirt on various parts of the track made life difficult for the drivers. We worked on comparing the two types of tyre that Bridgestone brought here for us and on setting up the car. Towards the end of the second session, we found a better balance, as the track gradually began to pick up grip as the cars did more laps and a line began to emerge. We had been struggling when the track was slippery. If the track continues to improve over the next two days then we can be in good shape for the race."
August 19, 2005
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