TURKEY: WHAT A WEEKEND...

by Mark Bracks

Mustafa Kemel: non-loopy leader from Middle East. Shame he's dead.

Just thought I'd check in before I jump on a big bird for China?

What a weekend in Turkey it was! Who could've picked the way Sunday was going to unfold! What a stunning day in all classes.

One bummer for me in the premier class is what happened to Chris Vermeulen. If he hadn't been taking out by a bright green bowling ball we might've had two Aussies on the podium, plus Jacque taking out Pedrosa and Edwards as well robbed us of an even greater spectacle.

CV rode superbly to end up finishing 11th, 26.249 sec behind Stoner. Second placed Elias was 6.207 sec adrift of Stoner and Capirossi was a further two seconds behind. So, if you take away (the roughly) 20 seconds Chris added to his first lap the maths looks pretty good for a place and setting the fastest lap of the entire race on his penultimate lap bears witness to how bloody hard he was riding. He went close to ride of the weekend in my book but that honour has to go to Stoner. What a little legend he is turning into as he has really settled into his new position. He was on it from the start of the meeting and apart from a slow little whoopsie on a damp track on Friday morning was faultless all weekend. With China coming up he could set himself up nicely for a possible championship year but momentum, consistency and a bit of good fortune are the chief ingredients that all have to come together for the kid.

He has certainly matured this year and settled into the team like a relative. It will be interesting to see how he fares now that his teammate Loris has the blinkers back on after being sidetracked by the birth of his first son. Istanbul showed that Capi-t-rex (the new moniker on the back of his leathers!) is back on song and if there is anyone I'd like to see win their first MotoGP championship this year besides an Aussie it's diminutive Capirossi. Well there's a few others too but you get my drift!

Toni Elias, Taxi Driver. "You lookin' at me?"

It certainly turned out to be a track where Bridgestone did more homework than Michelin in bringing the right selection of tyres as the only Michelin runners in the top 10 were Hayden and Rossi. The final qualifying sheet gave the wrong impression as Michelin's qualifiers were better but I think they misjudged the weather and took too much notice thinking the conditions would be the same as last year but who knows what could happen in China. Bridgestone and Michelin make the selections on Monday of this week for the tyres the lads will be using and already this year Michelin have stated they are using 40% less tyres with the new rules.

Last year it flogged down rain on Friday was damp on Saturday with a pleasant fine day on Sunday.

It won't be the last time this year that the qualifying sheet gives a false impression of practice and what happens in the race. Michelin filled the podium in China in 06 with Pedrosa Hayden and Edwards with Hopkins in fourth the first Bridgestone runner while Rossi chunked his front tyre big time and retired. But that was no fault of Michelin. The chattering he was getting in corners was partly to blame with the resonance of the suspension and frame vibrating the front wheel because of the ultra high speeds and severe braking.

As I said in my last article I don't mind going to Turkey even if the track was designed with F1 in mind, it's hands down the best track in the world. Even the dicky little double chicane at the end of the lap adds to the drama but the rest of the track is sensational which demands the best of rider and machine to take full advantage of its assets. Huge elevation changes, blind entry off camber fast corners, long fast up hill sweepers combined with downhill front end friers, it's got the lot.

Pity it may be the last time we may be there and it wont be any help from new owner, Bernie Ecclestone. This year marked the end of the initial three year agreement between Dorna and the Turkish Government and Chamber of Commerce so the future is up in the air.

Bikes without brakes, Rossi, bikes with brakes

Ecclestone was there over the weekend and on the Friday afternoon had a press conference to announce that he has virtually taking it all over after bringing the owners to their knees but the track will host F1 until 2021. Although he said there was no money due he has basically taken the track as payment.

He's a strange critter as on the Thursday he was walking around the media centre with one of his minions inspecting everything from tables to the window blinds really giving the place the once over. Well, I suppose a new owner is entitled to!

Normally the press room is supplied with at least coffee and tea and a few nibblies if we're lucky but strangely on Friday morning there was hastily written signs put up wanting money for a cuppa. The little sniveller tried to charge us! There were some sterns words passed to the track management and shortly after the signs came down!

Winner grins

His money grabbing antics didn't stop there either. Normally when teams stay to test the expense is part of the track agreement for the weekend. Not so with Turkey as Ecclestone held out his upturned palm to be greased and changed the teams a substantial amount of money to remain. It was initially 5,000 Euro a rider but then after a number of meetings it appeared when I left the track on Sunday that it was to be 50,000 Euro all up. That is a ridiculous amount of money for a one-day test but if teams had told him to jam it, it was sending one message that they haven't got much money and shouldn't be there to start with.

Maybe he is also sending a message that he doesn't want MotoGP there either. With a Turk in WSS and about ready to graduate to SBK could the World Supers end up there?

Speaking of SBK the promoters of Turkey did a massive cock up with the MotoGP event posters that were displayed around the motorways and the city. Fair enough it stated that MotoGP was happening but the bike pic was none other than Troy Corser on the Corona Suzuki -- and from 2005!

There were a few moments of interest off the track too, although nothing like my mini bull fight in Jerez. On the Thursday night a bowling match was organised with Yamaha and Suzuki at their hotel going up against the boys from the area I'm with, the Dorna communication department. The hotel has a six lane alley in the complex that included cabins and the like but it was in the middle of nowhere although probably the closest one to the track. The road from the track was a bottler -- it has already taken on the name of the "racetrack" and the current record is 6 min and 11 secs for a journey that takes about 15 and that's in a hire car!

The bowling challenge came about as a follow on from last year in Germany where the Dorna lads had our own little contest as there was a bowling alley at an American themed restaurant where we ate near the hotel. Anyway some of the luminaries on the night included Colin Edwards, Jerry Burgess, Alex Briggs, Yamaha PR beauty Katie Baines and Alex Hoffman. Suzuki had Hoppa Hopkins, his girlfriend Ashley, his trainer John and a couple of others as they were roped in at the last minute.

As you can imagine it wasn't very competitive with Yamaha just nudging us out of the win with Suzuki in third. Round two of the MotoGP Bowling champs are now pencilled in for Germany this year, so there will be a bit of practice going on if we get the chance. Alex Briggs even sourced a trophy now after buying one of the ten pins from the hotel to have engraved for the victor! That night won't be very competitive either!

Friday was another good night as we went to a Turkish restaurant on the waterfront near our hotel about an hour from down town Istanbul. The Turks are super friendly and one waiter took a shine to us straight away with plenty of banter. When finding out I was an Aussie the subject of Gallipoli wasn't far behind and he asked if my grandfather fought there. He didn't but I went along with the story saying that my "grandfather" fought his grandfather and quick as a flash he replied, "yes but before he was shot, he shot your grandfather and now all our grandfathers sleep together". We all had a good laugh and enjoyed the night so much we returned late on Sunday evening -- plus there wasn't much else open by that time! As soon as he saw me he gives me a big hug saying "ahh my brother returns welcome!"

Casey Stoner widens Elias's line. It needed it.

It's things like that that make up for the chaos of it all and the wish to return one day. They are a very patriotic bunch and ever indebted to Mustapha Kemel -- Ataturk (father of the Turks) -- who gave them a secular government, abolished the Arabic alphabet and introduced the Latin version of today as well as the chance to vote for men and women after the end of their own conflict in 1923 after the demise of the Ottoman Empire -- the longest lasting empire in history. Evidence of this never-ending respect is massive as his visage is on all the banknotes and there are monuments and pictures of him everywhere. In the past week there have been huge demonstrations against the current Turkish government because the people feel that they are trying to instil too much Islamic rule which is against the doctrine of Ataturk who died some 70 years ago. Surprising how much freedom they have thanks to him and I hope people power really works this time.

There wasn't such a bad crowd that turned up on raceday with over 42,000 flowing through the gates but with a track set out on the scale of Turkey there is a lot of space to hide the spectators although from where I was most of the pit straight stand was packed plus the pit roof was absolutely chockers as well. I was wrong about the girls though as the grid girls on Sunday were absolutely stunning -- certainly gave the Jerez brolly dollies a run for their money - but that was the only day they turned up! Bummer! Normally the majority are there on the Saturday but not in Turkey -- and I leave my camera in its case during race day!

Now it's on to China -- the last long haul fly away until July with the USGP and it is shaping as another stellar weekend.

With so many variables this year with the tyre rules, the competitiveness of the bikes and the rider talent it is difficult to pick a favourite for the weekend but the Ducatis will be near the top of the list.

I'm not going to be a mug and dismiss Rossi but haven't times changed. Only a couple of years ago a motorcycling no hope tipper would pick Rossi without even burning a brain cell but hasn't he got to work for it now. Talk about no respect for their elders. Elias certainly gave Vale a serve in Turkey. Was funny how now Rossi's complaining about dodgy passing moves. Maybe he forgets what he did to Melandri at Motegi a couple of years ago!

Photography and plumber's crack go together like Persian rugs and insolvency

Great moves by Elias up the inside with the arse hanging out, steering on the stops. Elias copped it on the chin and I'll tell you now, if anything, it has fired the Catalan native right up to give it to him again if the opportunity crops up to shove it underneath him. Remember Estoril in Portugal last year? It's only getting better.

Stoner and Vermeulen will be both looking for solid rides. Chris didn't finish there last year and Caser had a up and down weekend literally with a few crashes over the weekend (including a couple on the out lap) and in extensive pain during the race when an old back injury - no doubt helped by the practice crashes - came back to haunt him and he struggled home in fifth after being up with the leaders.

The 990s hit over 340kmh on the back straight last year so it will be interesting to see how far behind the 800s are in top speed. They might be slower overall top speed but I don't think they will be that far behind as the corner before is a 200 degree long right hander that really opens up on the exit so they will be carrying more speed at the start of the straight. It's Hayden's favourite corner on the track. Pity about the stop corner 1202 metres later but that's typical F1. Braking for that corner from full noise exerted almost two G's of force on the riders last year!

Yamaha brought new engine bits to Istanbul and will be continuing development over this weekend so they might be closer to the Duke as Rossi stated whatever they have done has broadened the powerband. The extra performance was noticeable. Kawasaki hasn't been sitting on its hands either as they have wrung another seven horsepower of this current generation ZX-RR motor. Now they only have to get the pilots to stay in the saddle and in control!

John Hopper (Suzuki, USA) gives lessons on how to scrape everything

Suzuki are improving all the time as Vermeulen was also the fastest in testing the day after the race at the Istanbul circuit.

It won't be too long before those two blue bullets finish in the top three again. It would be great to see Hoppa climb the steps for the first time but there is nothing like seeing an Aussie up there and CV must be soon to sample the stairs again.

In the nine weeks from the French GP on 20 May until the USGP on 22nd July we have seven races. Some are having a bit of a moan about having a couple of weekends off. Fair enough if you have a bride and tin lids but all I can say is "Jeez I love my job!"

Hoo Roo,

Bracksy