FORMULA 1 2011

[MIKA27]

Toro Rosso planning 'major' Monaco upgrade

Toro Rosso will hold off its latest update until round six in Monaco as it aims to continue its battle with the midfield teams.

The team's STR6 has had a positive start to the season, taking four points in the first three races, putting it ahead of Force India and Williams, but just behind Sauber.

These teams, chief engineer Laurent Mekies believes, will be their main competition in 2011, describing the midfield battle as their championship within the championship.

"At the first race, we found we had a reasonable race pace and our direct competition came, as expected from Williams, Force India and Sauber and we found ourselves fighting these guys throughout the opening three races of the championship," he told the Toro Rosso website.

"Our STR6 appeared to have the potential to fight them, which was good news.

"We are going to have an interesting fight with these three or four teams all season long – if you like, this is our championship battle within the championship."

In the hope of continuing the fight, the Italian outfit will introduce one of two major updates at the Monaco GP, in just four weeks time.

"We have planned major steps for car development during the year that have been established since before the start of the season," explained Laurent.

"We will see a significant step introduced in Monaco and another one later in the season. These two steps are planned and will hopefully provide good performance improvements, however, it is also true that with minimal testing allowed, we have been trying different set-ups at the races and these can lead you down different paths in terms of ride height, or the type of springs to use, or in terms of the aero balance on the car and these elements can also impact on the development strategy for the car."

[MIKA27]

Hamilton, Kubica my 'dream team' - Barrichello

Williams driver Rubens Barrichello has named Lewis Hamilton and Robert Kubica as his dream-team in Formula One - if he were a team principal.

The veteran of 310 races, making him the most experienced driver on the grid, was asked by the official F1 website about some of his 'F1 fantasies' which included his favourite champion, circuit, corners and racing era.

When the Brazilian was asked which former world champion he would choose to be his team-mate, he replied: Ayrton Senna! I would love to have him. It would be learning and fighting - because you never learn without fighting.

"I would never be happy to finish behind him, so it would be a constant push to the limit. I think he was fantastic in pushing to the limit," said Barrichello.

On the matter of his favourite circuit, he unsurprisingly chose his home track in Brazil.

"I would pick Interlagos all the way! Stay home and race Interlagos. That would be incredible - and it is a fantastic track to boot."

When asked to put himself into the role of team principal, then asked to choose his favourite two drivers to complete the line-up, he boasted that the duo of Hamilton and Kubica would be 'great'.

"I am a fan of Lewis Hamilton and I would like to see Robert Kubica alongside him," said the 38-year-old. "I think that could be a great driver line-up."

[MIKA27]

Michael to quit, Coughlan to join

Williams technical director Sam Michael and chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson will leave their posts at the end of the year, the Grove-based outfit confirmed on Tuesday.

The team also revealed that they have signed former McLaren technical director Mike Coughlan as chief engineer.

Michael hinted in April that heads could roll after Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado failed to see the chequered flag in the first two races of the season. An although both drivers made it to the finish line in China, they were well off the pace of the top 10.

Team boss Frank Williams confirmed on Tuesday morning that Michael and Tomlinson would part company with the team when their contracts expire at the end of the current season, saying they hope the changes they make will help them to return to the front of the grid.

"Both Sam and Jon are talented and driven people who have worked hard for Williams over 10 and five years respectively," he said.

"Nonetheless, they have recognised that the team's performance is not at the level that it needs to be and have resigned in order to give the team the opportunity to regroup and undertake the changes necessary to get back to the front of the grid.

"Both will continue to work in their present positions through until the end of the year to ensure that the team maintains focus and momentum during the 2011 season. We are very grateful to Sam and to Jon for their professional approach."

Coughlan, who left McLaren in 2007 following the spy scandal involving Ferrari, will join the team in June.

"Mike Coughlan is a fine engineer with extensive experience across Formula One and both civil and defence engineering," Williams said.

"He left Formula 1 in 2007 because of conduct which he acknowledges was wrong and which he profoundly regrets. His two year ban from the sport expired some time ago and Mike is now determined to prove himself again.

"Williams is delighted to be able to give him the opportunity to do this and we are very pleased to have one of the most talented and competitive engineers in the sport helping us to return to the front of the grid.

"This is the first step in re-building and strengthening our technical group. We will announce the next steps as they develop."

Coughlan is delighted that Williams have given him another opportunity after his woes of 2007.

"I am grateful to Williams for giving me this opportunity. My experience in 2007 was life-changing," he said.

"Since then, I have endeavoured to put my skills to good use in the design of the Ocelot vehicle whose purpose is to transport soldiers in safety. I have also enjoyed my time with Michael Waltrip Racing: they are an excellent race team and I wish them well for the future.

"Now, I am looking forward to returning to a sport which I love and to joining a team that I have admired for many years. I will dedicate myself to the team and to ensuring that we return to competitiveness while respecting the ethical standards with which Williams has always been synonymous."

[MIKA27]

Several updates to FW33 in Turkey

The Williams FW33 will sport new brake ducts, revised front wing and rear wings as well as several other changes at the Turkish Grand Prix.

Williams desperately need to turn their ailing fortunes around after a torrid start to the 2011 season which saw Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado fail to finish two of the opening three races of the campaign.

The team, who on Tuesday announced sweeping changes in its technical department for next season, hope the upgrades will help them to get back into the points in Istanbul.

"We're bringing a number of upgrades to the FW33 over the next few races, starting with Istanbul," technical director Sam Michael said.

"The package for Turkey will include new brake ducts, revised front wing and rear wings, plus some other secondary items. Combined, these components should give the FW33 a decent step-up in performance. Our objective is to get the car into the points as soon as possible."

Rubens Barrichello says he wants to be more competitive this weekend.

"I want to have a more competitive weekend with the team than we have had so far this season," the Brazilian said.

"We have new parts coming for Turkey which will hopefully work in our favour."

[MIKA27]

F1 takeover talks confirmed

News Corporation and investment firm Exor have confirmed they are exploring the possibility of forming a consortium to bid for control of Formula One.

The Italian-owned Exor, controlled by the Agnelli family who run car giant Fiat which in turn owns Ferrari, released a statement on Tuesday saying that it was in the "early stages" of talks with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp about a possible buyout.

"EXOR, one of Europe's largest listed investment companies, and News Corporation, the global media group, confirm they are in the early stages of exploring the possibility of creating a consortium with a view to formulating a long-term plan for the development of Formula One in the interests of the participants and the fans," read the statement.

"Over the coming weeks and months, EXOR and News Corporation will approach potential minority partners and key stakeholders in the sport."

The statement added: "There can be no certainty that this will lead to an approach to Formula One's current owners."

Venture capital firm CVC spent £1.8bn in 2006 to become Formula One's commercial rights holder and the company's chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was quick to "rubbish" claims of a possible bid last month.

"You would think if somebody wanted to buy it they would approach the people who own it to see if they want to sell it," Ecclestone said.

"Personally, I know CVC don't want to sell, so it's going to be a bit difficult. I can see CVC in for the long haul, absolutely, 100 per cent."

He added: "If somebody came along and offered them a lot more money than it's worth, they would obviously say 'Sit down, let's have a chat.'

"But I get the distinct feeling that's not going to happen.

"I can't understand why a company as big as News Corp need to keep looking for partners. First it was Carlos Slim, and now we've a new one."

[MIKA27]

DRS activation zone set for Turn 11

The Drag Reduction System activation zone for this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix will be shortly before Turn 11 at Istanbul Park.

After activation, the system will stay open until the drivers reach the braking zone at Turn 12.

The FIA also confirmed that the detection point for the device will start just before the braking zone at Turn 9, which means that drivers will once again not have the full length of the longest straight on the track to use the devices.

The adjustable rear wings have been a labelled a huge success my most drivers and have certainly played a major role in the record number of overtaking moves in the first three races of the season.

According to reports, F1 fans have witnessed almost 150 passes so far this year with 63 of them coming at the Chinese Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

McLaren: RB7 has three to five tenths edge

McLaren believe Red Bull still have a three to five tenths of a second pace advantage over them heading into this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix.

Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel blew most of the field away in the opening two races of 2011, but McLaren clawed their way back at the Chinese Grand Prix to claim victory through Lewis Hamilton.

Although he is quick to point out that the RB7 is still the fastest car on the grid, McLaren principal race engineer Phil Prew hopes the upgrades they've made to the MP4-26 as well as their tyre management will help them to close the gap even further at Istanbul Park.

"I think that we are between three tenths and half a second off the pace of Red Bull and obviously that is the gap that we are aiming to close," he said during a Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes Phone-In.

He added: "We obviously are hoping to close the gap. We don't have the fastest car at the moment and Red Bull are still the team which we hope to close the gap on. We're adding upgrades to the car in Turkey, which will hopefully help. But we have seen over the first three races that the difference between cars varies from track to track. I think Turkey will be a reasonably strong track for our car. We need to handle the tyres well and I think we will continue to be competitive. Of course everyone else will be aiming to improve their car at the same time. As always, we hope we've done enough."

One of the big talking points post Shanghai was Mark Webber's charge to a podium finish after starting close to the back end on the grid. The Red Bull driver was able to start the race on new tyres after qualifying in 18th. He made three pit stops and the fresher rubber helped him to easily pass several cars in the final 10 laps.

This has led to suggestions that some teams could in future base their race strategies more on tyre usage rather than qualifying.

However, Prew says McLaren will always favour qualifying at the front the grid over starting the race on a new set of rubber.

"The tyre degradation is certainly going to be a large factor in Turkey," Prew said.

"I think that will certainly be tending towards a three-stop race. There are some benefits of having new tyres available to you, however, I think the competitiveness of the field will force you - pretty much - to run multiple new tyres through qualifying.

"I think our position will be to take qualifying position over having new tyres in the race. I'm not discounting what we did with Lewis, for example, in China. We were fortunate enough to get through both Q1 and Q2 with a single set of option tyres, which allowed us to save one set of options. But I don't think you would choose not to compete in Q3 for the sake of tyre saving."

[MIKA27]

Trulli eyes error free Friday, Saturday

Jarno Trulli hopes Lotus will have an error Friday and Saturday in Turkey so that they can mix it with the likes of Williams, Force India and Sauber come race day.

Lotus have made major progress in recent months and they appear to be closing in on their two major goals: permanently joining the midfield battle and scoring their first points. Trulli finished 13th in Australia while in China Heikki Kovalainen finished in front of a Willaims and Sauber.

The 36-year-old Trulli is optimistic that the Norfolk-based team can battle with midfield runners Williams, Force India and Sauber in Istanbul providing they don't have any problems on the Friday and the Saturday.

"Turkey's another chance for us to keep growing as a team and after the short break we've had it'll be good to get back into the car," he said.

"The team's been hard at work on the aero updates we'll introduce at the Spanish Grand Prix and on a couple of mechanical fixes that will give me a better platform to really push on from.

"I want to make sure we can repeat the performance we showed in China and that relies on us having an error free Friday and Saturday and giving us the best chance to fight with the likes of Williams, Force India and Sauber."

Team-mate Kovalainen believes the Lotus T128 should be "ok" around Istanbul Park.

"People talk about Turn 8 being the most hardcore bit of the track but for me it's not that big a challenge - our car should be ok around the whole lap and after having had more time to work on the next update, which we'll see in Barcelona, the focus will be on getting the most out of the car in qualifying and showing the pace that we know is there over one lap," the Finn said.

[MIKA27]

Virgin hope to head in new direction

Virgin Racing are hopeful that their decision to change their approach when it comes to aerodynamics will help them to "turn the corner".

The MVR-02 struggled during pre-season testing and they were unable to improve much during the opening three races of the season. What will make the Virgin bosses even more frustrated is the fact that their nearest rivals Lotus are moving closer to the midfield.

Team principal John Booth concedes that things haven't gone according to plan so far, but feels their upgrades for the start of the European season in Turkey will help them to improve.

Timo Glock's car will have a "significant upgrade package" while team-mate Jerome D'Ambrosio's "will get a taste of some of the elements this weekend".

"By our own admission it's been a difficult start to the year, but we actually started doing something about that when we realised back in testing that we had not met our targets," Booth said.

"We've been working hard behind the scenes since the middle of February and this weekend sees the culmination of all those efforts when we will be able to see just how much we can progress now.

"The extent of our upgrade package for the start of the European season is significant to say the least. Aerodynamically it's a new direction for us and we're hopeful that it will help us start to turn the corner, although with such a major step it may take us some time to tune it to the racetrack.

"Jerome will not have the benefit of the full upgrade package until Spain but he will get a taste of some of the elements this weekend. We are of course mindful of the fact that everyone should have taken a step forward ready for Europe, so we will have to see how we've fared versus the rest of the field."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli to test harder tyre with less grip

Pirelli will bring a test compound to Friday practice for the Turkish Grand Prix in the hope of introducing it for the Spanish round in Barcelona.

The new hard compound is designed to last between two and three laps more than the current hard tyre, which will be used for the race in Turkey alongside the softs.

Pirelli are keen to experiment with 'tweaked' compounds. The aim of this harder tyre is to offer more durability with the downside that it will offer slightly less grip

"We’re looking forward to seeing our new evolution of the hard compound tyre on track in Turkey on Friday," said Maurizio Boiocchi, director of research and development at Pirelli.

"At Pirelli, we don’t believe in standing still so, in collaboration with the teams, we’re always working on new evolutions of the tyres that we hope will benefit the sport throughout the year.

"If we see the results that we expect from this life-sized test of the new tyre, our aim will be to use it at the next race in Barcelona.

"This tyre will provide less degradation and so we expect it to last longer, but the warm-up time will also be a little longer and there will be less grip," he explained.

[MIKA27]

Former BAR boss creating new engine for 2013

The former team principal of BAR [british American Racing] and former manager of Jacques Villeneuve, is looking at taking on Ferrari, Mercedes, Renault and Cosworth in the battle of the engines.

Craig Pollock has launched his own company with the aim of designing a 'green' engine for Formula One, when the new regulations take hold in 2013.

PURE, or Propulsion Universelle et Récupération d'Energie, as the company will be known, has begun to design an engine which meets the FIA's new regulations for F1 - a 1.6 litre, four-cylinder turbo unit.

So far, contact hasn't been made with any of the 12 teams, but Pollock said that was an intentional move as they focused on getting the right people in the company to ensure a quality product was produced.

"There are only four suppliers to date for 12 teams, and there is no guarantee there is going to be four suppliers in 2013," he said.

"We purposely have not contacted any of the teams. We first had to get the company up and running after the engine rules changed in December last year.

"We've since put the company together and we now have all the [technology] partners in place prior to doing anything else.

"Our design and development is already way down the road and we are now ready to approach the teams."

Pollock explained more behind his engine philosophy and why it could be an attractive alternative to other engines.

"We're going to come in with a very cost-effective, high-quality engine, and we believe there are many teams out there who will be looking for a change of supplier. With every team, apart from the manufacturer teams, there is potential."

FIA President Jean Todt has given the project his full backing.

"The rule changes for 2013 have been developed to provide lower-cost, greener and more fuel efficient technologies for Formula One.

"We wish Pure every success in developing power-trains compliant with the new FIA regulations."

[MIKA27]

Analysis: The magic of Turn 8

Although the Turkish Grand Prix is a relatively new addition to the calendar, its Turn 8 has already found an entry into Formula 1 folklore as one of the best corners of the season.

The high-speed triple apex turn challenges cars, drivers and tyres to the limits - and will once again be a focus of attention at Istanbul this weekend thanks to Pirelli's first event at the venue.

Ahead of the grand prix, Mercedes GP has issued a statistical analysis of the corner - which highlights just how impressive the corner is, and how it compares with other famous turns on the calendar like 130R at Suzuka or Pouhon at Spa-Francorchamps.

Turn Eight is the longest corner of the season. What are the key facts?

Turn Eight is 640m long - which equates to 12 per cent of the total lap distance of 5.338 km - and lasts for 8.5s, equivalent to 10% of the current lap record of 1:24.770 set in 2005. Drivers generally take three apexes, the slowest of which is at 260 km/h, with an average corner speed of 270 km/h.

How does this compare to the other longest and fastest corners of the season?

Turn Eight presents a unique combination of very high speeds and sustained load. In terms of time spent in the corner, the cornering phase through Turns one and two in Shanghai totals 8.7s - which exceeds Turn Eight - but during deceleration rather than at sustained high speed. The Parabolica at Monza lasts for 7.6s, and Barcelona's Turn Three for 7.4s. In terms of speed, comparable corners are 130R at Suzuka (3.7s, 315m) and Copse at Silverstone (3s, 240m) - both have a duration of less than half that of Turn Eight. In terms of distance, the season's next longest corners are Parabolica at Monza (470m) and Spa's Pouhon (460m) - both are over 25% shorter than Turn Eight.

What G-forces do the drivers experience in Turn Eight?

The peak G-force is 5G, while a level of 4.5G is sustained for two seconds. The average G-force in the corner is 3.5G.

What demands does this place on the tyres?

Turn Eight is the most demanding corner of the season in terms of tyre energy. Although it represents just 12% of the total lap distance, this corner alone accounts for approximately 40% of the total tyre energy during the lap at Istanbul Park. Of the car's four corners, the right-hand front tyre is worked hardest.

What loadings are the cars subjected to in the corner?

The peak suspension loadings through the corner are over 10,000N - equivalent to a force of 1,000kg, or over 150% the total car weight. The average loading on the right-hand front is 7,000N. The corner also imposes vertical G-forces owing to the bumpy surface between the first and second apexes: the variation between +0.5G and -0.8G feels harsh to the drivers.

How does car set-up take account of the corner?

Car set-up must take this corner into specific consideration, notably in terms of tyre camber settings and ride heights, particularly at the rear of the car.

What do the drivers think of the corner?

For seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, the corner is "not particularly difficult to drive but one of the season's longest and pretty fast." Performance in the corner is car-dependent: "It's very heavy on the tyres, and the way you drive the corner largely depends on the car and how you have set it up. That compromise might make it tricky, so we need to wait and see how it goes."

In contrast, team-mate Nico Rosberg finds it "one of the most challenging corners of the year" owing to the high speed and prolonged G-loadings. "If I had to create a fantasy F1 circuit, this corner would definitely be included!"

[MIKA27]

Webber open to future team switch

Mark Webber insists his future in Formula 1 remains open for now - after saying he would consider a switch to another team for 2012 if Red Bull Racing chooses not to extend his contract.

The Australian has favoured a rolling year-by-year contract at his current outfit, and the team is in no rush to sort out a fresh deal for now.

That has prompted speculation about his future - with Ferrari already being singled out as a possible destination for him if the Italian outfit opts not to extend Felipe Massa's contract.

Speaking to Italian newspaper La Stampa, Webber has said that his future is not settled – and that he will only make a call about his plans when Red Bull Racing has made its own mind up.

"I have my flaws, but I'm determined," he told the newspaper. "Last year I fought for the title, and I want to go for it again. I'm relaxed and I feel I can do it, until the end.

"When the season ends my contract with Red Bull will expire. I don't think a possible renewal depends on the results. I want to win for myself too. We'll see.

"If the team doesn't want me anymore, I will have to respond to a good question: to hang up the helmet, or to change teams?"

[MIKA27]

Vettel warns against complacency

After three wins in four races, reigning Champ Sebastian Vettel had every right to celebrate on Sunday following his triumphant performance in Turkey.

But instead of revelling in his Red Bull team's dramatic one-two finish - Mark Webber claiming his highest finish of the season - ahead of all their rivals, the 23-year-old German said he was keen to make sure everyone kept their feet on the ground and remained calm.

He now leads the title race by 34 points ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who could only manage fourth place on Sunday.

"It's good to get as many points as you can at every single race," said the reigning World Champion. "But we see how quickly it can change.

"We saw it last year with this guy (Fernando Alonso) coming and going, so we have to really go step by step, see every race as its own and try and maximise our points.

"A good start to the season always helps, but there is a long way to go. Four out of 19. So, you can work out how many more points there are to get so we have to keep focused."

Vettel thanked his team for their hard work in repairing his car, dubbed 'Kinky Kylie' after he had almost destroyed it in a major accident during Friday's rain-hit first practice session.

"All in all I am very happy," he said.

"On Friday, I had an accident and crashed the car badly. All the guys, even Mark's guys helped and fixed the car. It meant some extra hours which I am sorry for, but yesterday and today made up for it.

"I am pleased with the results and a big 'thanks' to the team."

He admitted he was open about his strategy and said the Red Bull team had learned from their mistakes in China where they were beaten by Hamilton.

He said: "It wasn't easy from the start to know what is going to happen.

"You have an idea about the tyres and how long they will last, but you have to wait for the first and second stints to see the trend. I could have stayed out on primes (soft), but if the safety car comes out you are on used tyres.

"So I had a another short stint. I was very much in control, I am very happy with how we communicated with the race and how we reacted.

"I am very pleased and since China we have definitely made a step forward. We have learned our lesson and have to make sure we keep momentum into the next race."

[MIKA27]

Webber searching for Seb's weaknesses

Just three weeks after claiming Sebastian Vettel is beatable, Mark Webber is now struggling to identify his team-mate's "weaknesses".

The Australian was forced to settle for second place behind Vettel after another faultless pole to chequered flag display from the defending World Champion at the Turkish Grand Prix. Sunday's victory helped Vettel to stretch his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 34 points after just four races.

Webber admits it's difficult to stop his team-mate at the moment, but urged the rest of the pack to end his great start to the season.

"He is on top of his game," the 34-year-old said. "He's had a great start to the season and he is near to his maximum. It's not ideal for the rest of us, but it is up to us to bring that to the end sooner rather than later.

"Everyone has weaknesses, and it is up to you to interrogate those as much as you can. Seb has done a good start, and the team has done a great job so that is it."

Webber was left kicking himself after he got off to a poor start at Istanbul Park and slipped behind Nico Rosberg who, according to the Red Bull man, didn't make the cleanest of moves.

"I got the maximum I could actually," Webber said.

"It would have been difficult to beat Seb. It would have been easier if I was ahead of Rosberg. Nico is doing his race, fair enough, but he could have made a cleaner move initially. In the end the result is as it deserves to be, I think."

[MIKA27]

Brawn: A lot to learn from the weekend

Ross Brawn concedes Mercedes GP still have their work cut out for them after Nico Rosberg dropped down the order in Sunday's Turkish GP.

Starting P3 on the grid, Rosberg put in a blinder on the opening lap to take second place from Mark Webber.

But the German soon began to blister his rear tyres and fell down the order, dropping to P7.

And although he fought back in the latter stages, moving up to P5 after overtaking Jenson Button in the closing laps thanks to his fresher rubber, Brawn admits it wasn't what Mercedes GP had hoped for.

"We knew we had a little bit of vulnerability on high fuel so we have a to think again about how we prioritise our approach," said the team boss told the BBC.

"We got into the race and quickly blistered the rear tyres - that's why we fell away.

"As the fuel load came down we started to get respectable again.

"What's clear is qualifying is the least critical, race set-up and the correct number of tyres is the important thing.

"There's a lot to learn from this weekend."

[MIKA27]

Michael: I'll be in F1 next year

Sam Michael will not walk away from Formula One completely when he steps down as Williams technical director at the end of the season.

The Grove outfit announced a major reshuffle earlier this week following their disastrous start to the 2011 season. It was confirmed that Michael along with chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson will leave the team when their contracts expire in December.

Michael says the next few months won't be his last in the paddock, but refused to go into more detail.

"I'll clearly be in Formula 1 next year. Where? I don't know yet. I can't talk about it," he told BBC Sport.

The 40-year-old insists he wasn't pushed out by the team.

"It was my decision to leave Williams," he said. "I thought it was the right thing given that the board wanted to review the technical structure of the company and that was going to involve some changes in the staff that work for me and are employed by me.

"I thought it was wholly correct that as technical director I take responsibility if the board decided that the performances was not going to be strong enough and I wasn't prepared to not be included in that review.

"So it was my decision to resign, which I did after the Malaysian Grand Prix and that's where we are."

[MIKA27]

Schumi: That big joy is missing

After weeks of insisting that he's having fun, Michael Schumacher has finally admitted that the "big joy" of F1 racing is "not there right now."

When Schumacher announced he was returning to Formula One, the German quite clearly stated: "I want to have fun out there."

However, it seems that he's not having much joy these days.

Although he has often said since his comeback that he had "fun" out there even though he wasn't fighting for race wins or podiums, on Sunday in Turkey the fun finally faded.

With rumours suggesting he could be on his way out at the end of the season, Schumacher told the BBC that the "big joy is not there right now."

Starting P8 on the grid, Schumacher was involved in several battles, including one on lap three with Vitaly Petrov which sent the seven-time Champ into the pits for a new nose.

That dropped him down to 22nd place, from which he fought back to finish 12th.

"What happened with Vitaly Petrov, it was mostly my mistake - suddenly we got together and I lost my front wing," said Schumacher.

"There was lots of fighting and lots of action, but all for nothing."

He added: "Mostly I was able to go forward but the big joy is not there right now."

[MIKA27]

Alonso: Finally we can enjoy racing again

After three tough races where success appeared to be miles away, Fernando Alonso "finally" enjoyed his racing with a third-placed result in Turkey.

Ferrari had a trying time in the opening three races of the Championship with Alonso achieving a best result of P4 in Australia.

However, the Scuderia seemed to find their way in Istanbul thanks to the introduction of several new parts, including a revised front and rear wing.

Alonso, once again starting from fifth place on the grid, quickly made up positions, overtaking Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber before losing out to the latter in the final laps.

But, he still made it home in third place, earning Ferrari's first podium of the season.

"I think we did a good weekend overall," said the double World Champ

"The car performed a bit better than what we did in the first three races of the Championship, so finally we enjoyed racing again and we enjoyed a race fighting for the podium positions, changing position through the race.

"Finally we can enjoy racing again."

But if only he had succeeded in overtaking Rosberg a bit sooner, the Spaniard reckons he may have held onto second place.

"We lost a little bit of time behind Rosberg at the beginning, and we did not feel the possibility to fight for P1 anymore, so we concentrated on P2," he said.

"I had a little bit of advantage in terms of tyre degradation compared to Mark, we used the DRS and I was able to overtake him, and in the last part of the race it was more or less the opposite.

"It was okay, fighting with Red Bull these days is difficult. It was close but we'll try again."

[MIKA27]

Button bemoans poor strategy

Jenson Button was left frustrated after a series of wrong calls cost him big time at the Turkish Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver was forced to settle for sixth place at Istanbul Park after the team opted to keep him on a three-stop strategy instead of changing it to a four-stopper.

The strategy meant Button became a sitting duck for team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg - who both stopped four times - in the final few laps of the race.

The 31-year-old feels the team should have changed their strategy once it became obvious that four sets of tyres were not going to be enough.

"Most people were probably on my strategy initially, but because most of them damaged their tyres in the first stint they changed their strategy, we didn't but we didn't leave our stop until late enough," he told BBC Sport.

"We should have stayed out longer because the last stint was impossible having so many laps on the hard tyre. You're not racing any more because the difference in speed is unbelievable.

"They just come past you and you can't do anything. It's a pity to finish so far back but strategy wise something we did wrong."

[MIKA27]

Whitmarsh unimpressed with 'glitches'

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh was left counting the cost after the team made too many errors during Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.

The Woking outfit will leave Istanbul with 20 points after Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and Jenson Button nursed his car to a sixth-place finish at Istanbul Park. Hamilton's haul of 12 points helps him to remain second in the Drivers' standings while Button drops to fourth.

It was a trying afternoon for McLaren though as Hamilton made a poor start and slipped down to sixth place after running wide on the first corner. His mood worsened after problems with the front right wheel during his third stop and he was then slowed down further when he had a run-in with Ferrari's Felipe Massa in the pit lane.

Meanwhile, the decision to put Button on a three-stop strategy backfired as both Hamilton and Nico Rosberg - who both made four pit stops - were able to pass him in the final few laps.

Although he is relieved that Hamilton is still second in the standings, Whitmarsh admits they had too many glitches.

"A fairly average day at the office, it has been tricky," he told BBC Sport.

"To leave with Lewis still second in the Drivers' Championship is reasonable, but another number of things went wrong. We lost places at the start and then you have to be aggressive to get through the field and that damages the tyres.

"And three stops, even for a driver like Jenson, was probably just a stop too few so a few glitches, but we will come out of this and see if we can do a better job in Spain."

[MIKA27]

Limited in-season testing to return in 2012

The FIA's Jean Todt is keen to reintroduce in-season testing for the 2012 season, but warned it would be strictly limited.

The proposal for three, two-day tests, a total of six days, will be put forward at the next F1 commission meeting which takes place on June 23rd in Valencia.

Todt believes the total ban was going from one extreme to the other, describing it as 'stupid'.

"For me, it is a stupid decision to have no testing during the season," he said in Turkey.

"In the past it was crazy to have unlimited testing during the year, but to go from unlimited to completely banned, it is not the right measure.

"It doesn't allow young drivers to test, it doesn't give the opportunity for young drivers to learn some experience in F1, and I will make sure that this situation will change for the future."

The Frenchman and former Ferrari team principal says he was keen to re-introduce testing this season, but admitted it was too late to do so.

"I would have loved to have done it in 2011, but we could not impose it," he said.

If all the teams agree to the measure, it will happen in 2012 at the earliest, if not, says Todt, it will be forced through for 2013.

"It will be in 2012 if we get enough [votes]. It is something that we are going to present at the next Formula 1 Commission which will be on the Thursday in Valencia, and if not then, we can implement it in 2013 without any agreement.

"At the latest it will be 2013, but hopefully people will accept a few days testing during the season from next year on."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli to take supersoft tyres to Canada

Pirelli has announced the next allocation of tyre compounds for the next three races following on from Monaco.

The Canadian GP will see the use of soft and supersoft compounds, despite the highly abrasive track surface - this will also be the case in Monaco.

The European round in Valencia weill see the medium tyre make its debut as the prime with the supersoft as the option.

In Britain, the race that marks the halfway point of the 2011 season, the hard and soft tyres will be prime and option respectively: mirroring the choices made for the first five races of the season.

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery commented on the choices: "When calculating which tyres we will bring to every circuit, we bear a number of factors in mind such as the weather conditions and the nature of the surface. We then make sure that we select two tyres that will complement each other in terms of racing spectacle and potential strategies as well.

"So we’ve come up with tyre nominations that should not only be well suited to the characteristics of each circuit but also provide a great race for the drivers and spectators, with plenty of scope for the teams to exercise their strategic skills.

"Selecting the tyres is a very tough job for us, as in Montreal, Valencia and Silverstone we have no historical data, but we’re feeling confident that the choices we have made, in close consultation with the teams and the FIA, should continue the Pirelli tradition of close racing that we have seen so far this year."

[Hacigar]

From Turkish GP

[MIKA27]

Barrichello: Improve or I'm out

Rubens Barrichello has warned Williams that he won't re-sign with them unless they up their game and their results.

The 38-year-old Brazilian joined Williams at the start of the 2010 Championship on a one-year contract.

And although he extended it for a further season, the former Ferrari driver says he won't hang around for another unless the team shows signs of improvement.

"Williams must improve a lot for us to reach an agreement for next year," Barrichello told Autosport.

"Things are standing still. It's not worth going on this way... I'm at the top of my game and I'm quite happy with that. Having said that, I need the team to start to shake up and I need to see differences."

This year's Championship has witnessed Williams worst-ever start to a campaign with the team failing to score a single point in the first four races.

The team's fall from grace prompted the announcement of several key changes including the departure of Sam Michael, which will take place at the end of the year, and the signing of former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan.

"We need a leader. Right now, it is almost like we have too many but not enough." said Barrichello.

"A lot of people are trying to say something but in the end that is not the point.

"They need to focus on what they are doing. I can possibly recruit more people, look at other teams. I can.

"I am a top 10 guy in the paddock who has been around the longest. I know a few people and I am calling them."

MIKA: IMO, Frank Williams needs to step down as team principal because he is notorious for getting in the way of everyone in the team, then you will have a great team. Bring back the Williams of old!