Formula One News — August 2007

Spanish wheeler-dealer Alejandro Agag has been publicly linked with the Super Aguri F1 team. This may be part of a negotiation process with another team or even a smokescreen to obscure his real intentions. Super Aguri is vulnerable at the moment and needs money and Agag seems to have access to money through his many international connections.

Alejandro Agag is tipped as a possible partner for the Super Aguri F1 team. He is a man who needs top be watched in the future because the 36-year-old Spaniard is extraordinarily well-connected both in business and in political circles.

Panasonic Toyota Racing has hired Frank Dernie to help the team on aerodynamic and chassis-related matters, although he will not be based in Germany and will not be attending races on a regular basis.

These are interesting times at Spyker with financial troubles, battles among the Dutch shareholders, possible new investors falling over one another to get involved, and now trouble in the technical departments as well with the team's chief designer John McQuilliam - who has been with the team since 1991 - being suspended.

Lewis Hamilton says he is considering moving abroad because life in Britain is becoming a little more difficult as media intrusion in his life has increased. Hamilton was speaking after stories in Britain linked him to one of McLaren team boss Mansour Ojjeh's daughters and showed photographs which seemed to suggest they were frolicking in the waves.

Jean Todt is not usually very helpful to the Formula 1 media, unless he needs their help to make a point he wishes to be made. On Sunday in Istanbul he used his post-race media chat to let the world know that he is "not prepared to retire". Todt says that he is still very motivated and says that he hopes that he can continue "or a few more years".

There is much talk in Holland that Nelson Piquet Jr will replace Giancarlo Fisichella at Renault next season. Piquet is half Brazilian and half Dutch and while Renault has yet to confirm its driver line-up for 2008, the team has obviously been holding out a hope that Fernando Alonso would leave McLaren and go back to his old team.

The word in the paddock in Istanbul is that Toyota has either signed, or is about to sign, a long-term deal with GP2 racer Timo Glock. The young German would be taken on as a replacement for Ralf Schumacher and team-mate to Jarno Trulli.

In the overall scheme of things, the Turkish Grand Prix was not a great race and it will not be remembered fondly by anyone (except perhaps the Massa Family). The crowd was small and the action sparse and while Felipe Massa drove a perfect race, most of the attention was still centred on the rivalry between the two McLaren drivers.

Turkish GP - Race Notes

Turkish GP - Sunday Photos

Turkish GP - Sunday Press Conference

Turkish GP - Sunday Team Quotes

Turkish GP - Race Incidents

Turkish GP - Race Results

Felipe Massa took pole position for the Turkish Grand Prix in the final seconds of the final session, edging out Lewis Hhamilton by 0.05secs.

Turkish GP - Saturday Photos

Turkish GP - Saturday Press Conference

Turkish GP - Saturday Team Quotes

Turkish GP - Qualifying Results

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the Saturday morning session in Istanbul, edging out Ferrari's Felipe Massa by 0.041sec and a tenth faster than Kimi Raikkonen, the second Ferrari driver. Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest in his McLaren but he was four-tenths off the pace.

Turkish GP - Practice 3 Results

In very hot conditions on Friday afternoon Lewis Hamilton put himself back in the spotlight with the fastest time of the second session in Istanbul (although Kimi Raikkonen's best time of the morning remained quicker).

Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton may be making all the right noises about things being back to normal but the Spaniard is still not happy with the way he is treated at McLaren.

Turkish GP - Friday Photos