AlphaTauri drivers have never raced in Istanbul Park and are looking forward to the Turkish Grand Prix …
Daniil Kvyat“When I was driving home to Monaco after the last race, I had enough time to think about fourth place in Imola. I am happy with the result. The day was successful, we played on the home track – it was important to achieve a good result to fight in the Constructors’ Cup. We were fast all weekend, which makes us optimistic before the final races. I took the exit of the safety car and almost made it to the podium. But do not ask too much of fate. We, as a team, can be happy with this result.
Together with the race in Turkey, we have four stages left. I have always understood that I have to be careful about the coronavirus pandemic. And I have been careful all year, but even in such conditions, you need to learn to live in order not to go crazy. For my part, I try to be hygienic, stay away from other people, wear a mask, and so on.
In none of the episodes did I race on the Turkish track. Given the current situation, I have not had the opportunity to work on the simulator, so I will start from scratch. Of course, I got acquainted with the configuration from past race records and know that the track is twisted counterclockwise, as in Imola. I know that there is a variable relief, I heard about the protracted eighth turn.
Modern Formula 1 cars provide very high downforce, so we will drive many corners with the gas pedal fully depressed. Some of them are similar to the sites in Spa and Interlagos – it will surely be interesting.
But I’ve already been to Turkey! As a child, I went there on vacation with my parents – it’s not so far from Russia. I remember that there is good weather, good food and good people. “
Pierre Gasly: “The race in Imola was unsuccessful for me. In the course of the weekend, everything worked out – first in training, then I achieved the best result for myself in qualifying, so it was not easy to come to terms with the retirement. I could have achieved great results, but the races are unpredictable.
For some time before the official announcement, I knew that I would stay with the team for the next season. I am delighted to continue working at AlphaTauri. We have a good team, we work well, we have a strong season. There are four more races before it ends, in which I want to perform as well as possible, but we are also working on solutions for 2021 – and these races are very important for preparing for the next season.
After the Imola race we had a short break before the Turkish stage. I went home, trained, avoiding any risk associated with the coronavirus. They say that the race on the Istanbul track will put a lot of stress on the muscles of the neck, but I believe that I am now in better shape than ever. Given the additional restrictions, keeping fit has become more difficult than before, but you need to adhere to all accepted rules and avoid unnecessary contacts.
Like most riders, I have never raced in Istanbul – this is my first acquaintance. The configuration looks great, and I look forward to trying it out. I managed to drive a few laps in the simulator – some of the turns really seem to be unique, everyone has heard of the unusual eighth turn. The track is quite difficult, but I like it when you need to find your rhythm of the lap. This is another opportunity to try something completely new. “
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