Red Bull have the edge in Turkey, but others looking to catch up: Formula 1 News
There have been some exciting races in the Formula 1, 2011 season and there is a lot more to come for the fans. The opening two races in Australia and Malaysia were dominated by the reigning champions, Red Bull, but other teams have also made a lot
of progress and are eyeing to catch up with the championship leaders. The next race of the season will take place in Turkey, on Sunday, May 8, 2011.
Red Bull will once again be favourites heading to the next race, as they have the pace to stay at the front. They do have one issue with their Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), but claim to have a trouble-free event in the coming race weekend.
The combination of Red Bull’s pace and Sebastian Vettel’s skills has proved to be unmatchable. The youngest ever Formula 1 champion is leading the driver’s championship at the moment with 68 points and couldn’t have expected a better start to his title
defence. His team-mate, Mark Webber, didn’t get a smooth outing in the fly-away races, but aims to bounce back strongly. He did a terrific job in the Chinese GP, securing a third place finish after starting from 18th on the grid.
McLaren seem to be the only team, which can challenge the reigning champions for race victories. The Vodafone sponsored team has made significant improvement, considering their struggle during winter testing. They have closed the gap to Red Bull every
race and will be competitive in Turkey.
Last year’s Turkish GP proved to be very much productive for McLaren, as their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, scored maximum points on race day. They finished one-two, but not without a bit of luck, as the Red Bull drivers collided with
each other.
Hamilton is second in the driver’s championship and is 21 points behind the leader. He managed to win the Chinese GP and was confident of doing well in the remaining part of the season. McLaren have planned some upgrades for the upcoming event, but
admit of being second best to Red Bull at the moment.
Ferrari are third in the championship at the moment, as things haven’t gone according to plans for them. The team looked good in the pre-season testing, but was unable to make an impression once the season officially kicked off.
However, Ferrari’s driver, Fernando Alonso, has complete confidence in the Italian outfit. The Spaniard admitted his team was way behind the front-runners, but was aware of the hidden potential of his 2011 challenger.
The Turkish GP will be of key importance for Mercedes, as the German giants have been looking for consistency. They were below par in the opening two races of the season, but expressed a lot of promise during the Chinese GP. Team principal, Ross Brawn,
said that the team has planned several updates for the next race, which will put the team right amongst the front-runners.
Apart from these teams, Renault has also been impressive. However, the team had a bad outing in China and will be eyeing a turnaround in Turkey.
No matter what the result, high track temperature and quick wear of Pirelli tyres will ensure yet another thrilling race weekend for the fans.
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