Can anyone beat this man? Brawn GP driver Jenson Button has won five out of six Formula One races this season. Is he primed to win again in Istanbul? (David Vincent/Associated Press)
From the beautiful seaside and multi-million dollar yachts of Monaco, Formula One returns to a more conventional venue for Round 7 of the championship.
After the narrow streets of Monaco the cars and drivers will get to stretch their legs at the smooth, fast and long track at Istanbul. The teams will be asked to find the perfect balance between outright speed and grip through the corners. The engines will be tested at the both the bottom end pulling through corners and the high end along the back straight.
Istanbul is a critical race for most of the teams. As we approach mid season with Jenson Button having scored five wins in six races, teams will need to decide whether to focus their energy on this season or start developing their 2010 cars.
With 10 races left in the season, let's not give Brawn GP and Jenson the title, just yet.
Here is a look at how the teams might fair at the Turkish Grand Prix.
McLaren: The defending series champions were woefully off the pace in Monaco. This was primarily a result of poor qualifying. They looked better two races ago in Spain, and there is no question Mercedes power is the engine to have - just ask Brawn GP. It's also clear this McLaren chassis is not the car to have. In a classic case of looking for the best in a bad situation, it has actually been good for driver Lewis Hamilton. He's been forced to become a better racer because he's had to fight for every position. I suggest McLaren will beat their 12th-place result from last weekend, but again will be lucky to get a top-eight finish and some points.
Ferrari: They're back. Ferrari came to Europe with a new car and has shown what an unlimited budget and some knowledge can do. The new car is lighter, faster and better balanced. With a podium result in Monaco, Ferrari fans have a reason to cheer again. But while they have proven to be quick through the streets, I doubt we will see them on the podium this Sunday. I'll give them a solid fifth-place finish this weekend. As they continue to develop the chassis through the rest of the season, it's only a matter of time until they score a victory.
Renault: Give Flavio Briatore full marks for keeping Renault in the news even though they haven't been competitive. Rumours of Renault selling the team to Briatore and coming back as an engine manufacturer have captured media attention. Just like Mercedes, the engine is strong, but the chassis is poor. Fernando Alonso has done an outstanding job driving a less than spectacular car. I expect the faster track in Turkey will not make Alonso's job any easier, but he is motivated as Ferrari obviously has its eyes on the Spaniard. A top-10 finish will be good result.
BMW: The wheels have fallen off at BMW. Driver Robert Kubica has started to talk about his dissatisfaction with the car. He has asked the team to continue to develop the 2009 chassis, which means he must know they are ready to abandon it. An 11th-place finish in Monaco was just not good enough. I think BMW has decided to throw in the towel on the season, so don't expect any surprises. Their only hope now is a top 15 to stay ahead of Force India.
Toyota: This team has been surprisingly ineffective since the fourth race of the season. There was big pressure for a win this year and while the team started strong, it's now headed in the wrong direction. I believe the rumour that Toyota will leave after the last race of 2009. Without Honda to beat, F1 is much less attractive. Besides, they're already winning in NASCAR. I also expect they will be competitive before the season is out and they will want to leave with some wins under their belt. I suspect a sixth- or seventh-place result in Istanbul and podiums yet to come this season.
Williams: Nico Rosberg is again Williams's sole hope. A sixth-place finish in Monaco was a good result. The Toyota power has been adequate and their chassis development is catching up with the frontrunners. Rosberg has proven a great qualifier but is still developing as a racer. This Sunday, Rosberg will be in that mid-pack fighting for a point with Toyota, Renault and McLaren.
Red Bull: If anyone is going to challenge Brawn GP and Jenson Button for the 2009 championship it is Red Bull. It was all looking bright for Sebastian Vettel until he made a rookie mistake and crashed on lap 15 in Monaco. That hurt his championship hunt, and with Mark Webber finishing fourth, the team will question which driver to back for the championship. Vettel is young and quick, but prone to rookie mistakes; Webber is the veteran who isn't as quick, but good for regular points. Look for Red Bull to fight Ferrari and Brawn GP for a win in Istanbul. The best battle might be between teammates trying to show team boss Christian Horner who the number one driver is.
Toro Rosso: This enigmatic team should be up front, but still aren't. Rookie Sebastien Buemi rushed the start in Monaco and was eliminated early from the race. Teammate Sebastien Bourdais was elated with eighth. How can getting a single championship point excite you? This team seems content to sit mid-pack, even though they have a Ferrari engine and a winning Red Bull chassis. Something is missing here. They will get no points in Istanbul and finish near the back.
Brawn GP: Five wins in six races says a lot about this team. Ross Brawn has created a car equally at home on high-speed tracks as well as slow, tight street circuits. That's bad news for the competition. Most teams have given Jenson Button the championship and he is again a heavy favourite for another win. Despite their modest budget, Brawn GP seems to know how to develop the car each and every race. Great drivers, great cars, and a great team owner. They will be tough to stop.
Force India: Congratulations to Team India and Giancarlo Fisichella who finished ahead of Toyota, BMW and McLaren in Monaco. Falling just short of getting their first points, they get full marks for continuing to fight the big teams with a modest budget in F1. With teams starting to work on the 2010 cars, I think you will see more and more from Force India. Unlikely to become a "force" in F1, points are a sure thing this season, maybe beginning Sunday.
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