Turkey MotoGP

[KUCIAR666]

Circuit: Istanbul Otodrom
Country: Turkey
Track length: 5378 m
Opened: 2005
Circuit tel: +90 (216) 418 5222
Circuit web site: http://www.turkeygrandprix.com



The Istanbul Otodrom track is designed by Herman Tilke, the famous designer who also created the Sepang, Bahrain and Shanghai tracks. It can seat 130.00 spectators and is situated in the Asian part of Turkey, about 80 km?s east from Istanbul.

Track runs anti clockwise and is 5378 metres long with an average width of 15 m. It consists of 14 corners of which six are right turns and eight are to the left. The first part of the circuit is tight and technical, while the second part is open and fast featuring a backside straight with what looks to be a very exciting high speed kink in it. The riders are then slowed down by a chicane before they hit the relatively short 655,5 m start and finish straight.

 

[Cyclops]

Its been cancelled due to an outbreak of Bird Flu c7u8

It can seat 130.00 spectators

That and it can only seat 130 peeps Bad design I reckon :}

 

[Samster]

Ya beat me to it Ian!

 

[KUCIAR666]

:} :} :}

TECHNICAL INSIGHT - TURKISH GRAND PRIX - 2310/05 ISTANBUL
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The Istanbul circuit is one of the few circuits that is negotiated in
an anticlockwise direction.

Its layout makes the task of finding the right settings for the bike
very complicated because there is a mix of very fast corners taken at
full throttle and also very slow corners. In addition the constant
changes in elevation will make it even more difficult to find the
correct suspension settings in the short space of time available in
practice before the race.

The track starts with a short start/finish straight and the first
corner is a relatively slow left-hander which should make for some
spectacular braking at the end of the straight. There then follows an
impressively long right-hand corner which will be one of the most
important points on the track. This corner will affect the type of tyre
used because the right side of the tyre must be made of a hard compound
to withstand the excessive tyre wear since the rider accelerates from
second to probably fourth gear through the corner with the bike leaning
over. Three corners follow in a short distance one after the other, two
of which are very slow and taken in first gear. After, comes a downhill
straight until the rider arrives at another very slow corner, taken in
either first or second gear, which is also the point where the track
starts to rise uphill. This will probably be a popular overtaking
point. After this climb there are three left-hand corners, very similar
to the three successive corners in Qatar which gave so much emotion in
the last race. There then follows a downhill section which takes the
rider up to another slow corner which leads onto a first straight. This
straight is followed by an impressive right hander which will condition
the top speeds reached on this track. This will probably be in the
region of 320 Km/h because after this corner, taken in fourth gear or
maybe fifth, there is still 700 metres more straight to follow to build
up speed.

After reaching this top speed the rider must brake sharply to take a
second-gear corner and then three successive corners with two changes
of direction.

To sum up, the mechanics will have their work cut out in finding the
ideal settings for the bike and also the right tyre compound at this
circuit.

It might be the case too that oversize brake discs are fitted not only
because of the heat, but also due to the heavy braking points which
stress the normal size discs.

 

[KUCIAR666]

FEATURE - TURKEY GRAND PRIX - 23/10/05 ISTANBUL

FEATURE - TURKEY GRAND PRIX - 23/10/05 ISTANBUL
THE SPORTING BRIDGE

Turkey is making the International headlines at the moment. Not because
of the first MotoGP event to be staged in the country on Sunday but
because of their proposed entry into the European Union. Their entry
into the world of International Motorsport has gone a lot smoother than
their entry into the EU, with both Formula One and MotoGP making their
debuts this year in a country with no great tradition in World
Championship racing.

Turkey is fast becoming an international sporting venue with it's very
location a bridge between the European and Asian cultures. This year
they have already staged the Champions League Football final in a new
stadium on the outskirts of Istanbul. In August they hosted the first
ever Turkish Formula One Grand Prix at the brand new Otodrom circuit
which situated on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, 60 kilometres south
east of the centre of Istanbul.

They spent over 80 million euros to complete the facility just in time
for the Formula One debut. The 5.378 kms circuit was designed by Herman
Tilke who has been responsible for the design of the new circuits of
Sepang in Malaysia and Shanghai in China.

The first thing to strike you watching the Formula One race on the
television was just how undulating the circuit was, making a welcome
change from some of the flat featureless circuits that are in vogue at
the moment The track runs in anti-clockwise direction and features six
rights and seven left turns. As always it's nice and wide and should
provide plenty of overtaking opportunities to excite the new fans of
the sport.

Nobody has tested at the circuit so it really will be a trip into the
unknown for the riders and engineers, while the two major MotoGP tyre
manufacturers Michelin and Bridgestone may turn to their F1 colleagues
for any tips.

Once again looking at television and the lay out of the circuit , the
fast right hander turn 11, would seem to be the place top watch while
the very sharp turn one at the end of the start and finish straight
could certainly cause some fun and games.

The Formula One race ran smoothly with the only complaints about
traffic jams in and out of the circuit and a good few team personnel
going down with tummy bugs after sampling the local cuisine.

Turkey is a country located on two continents, Europe and Asia. Just
three per cent is in Europe with 97 per cent in Asia. The population is
approaching 70 million with Istanbul easily it's largest city with
over ten million inhabitants. The Capital city of Ankara has a
population of four million. Ninety-nine per cent of the population are
Muslims.

Football in the main sport and Turkish fans are known for their
passionate support. Turkish lira is the official currency of a country
that hopes one day to be switching to the euros and which is steeped in
history and tradition.

Contrary to popular belief the City of Troy was situated on the
Dardanelles in the West of Turkey and was the scene of one of the
greatest con tricks of all time. The Greeks and the Turks had been
fighting for ten years over a beautiful women by the name of Helen of
Sparta. One night the Greek troops withdrew from the boundaries of the
City leaving behind a massive wooden horse.

The Turks inside the city thought the war was over and duly celebrated,
as one does, by drinking themselves into a stupor. On discovering the
wooden horse outside the walls, they wheeled in their trophy of war to
the centre of the city before sleeping off their hangovers. While they
slept the Greek soldiers who were hidden in the horse, jumped out and
slaughtered the lot of them.

Hiding in the back of transit van to get free entry to Snetterton or
Albecete is one thing but hiding in a wooden horse to get free entry
into the Otodrom is another.

So another new adventure for MotoGP into a country that is hoping to
bridge that Europe/Asia divide by finally gaining full membership into
the European Union. The arrival of yet another international sporting
event to their shores will surely help their cause.

It promises to be yet another interesting weekend but keep a look out
for that dodgy food and wooden horses outside the main gate.



I hope you are not bored :blush:

 

[Samster]

Not at all mate - keep them coming, great information prior to the race....................Sam :beer: