register to 888sport
888sport time:

Featured Sport News

Button aims for four in a row

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 06/06/2009

The Formula One circus moves on to Turkey this weekend and the question on everybody's lips is can Jenson Button make it four wins in a row?

Button and Brawn GP have dominated the last three races and their one-two finish at Monaco two weeks ago has left the Briton 16 points clear at the top of the drivers' standings and the team in total control of the constructors' championship.

Button has won five of the opening six races of the season and the Briton is in serious danger of wrapping up the world title midway through the season.

Ominously for the rest of Formula One, Brawn expect both Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello to be even faster this weekend following a few tweaks to the design of the car.

"Development work on the BGP 001 car has continued apace at the factory and we will be bringing a new front wing to Turkey along with some aerodynamic updates and new rear suspension elements," said team principal Ross Brawn.

Button finished a distant 11th to race winner Felipe Massa, runner-up Lewis Hamilton and the second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen in third last year.

However, the bullish world championship leaders is predicting a much better result this year, saying: "The Turkish Grand Prix is always a race that I look forward to as I really enjoy driving the Istanbul Park circuit and have been quite competitive there in the past."

The smart money in the formula one betting stakes is again not on McLaren this weekend following their disastrous start to the season.

Reigning world champion Hamilton was a dismal 12th in Monaco and team boss Martin Whitmarsh sees no reason for renewed optimism at Istanbul Park.

"We go to Turkey in the knowledge that the track characteristics are a bit less likely to suit our package than Monaco," he warned.

What can be guaranteed though is a race with more excitement than the narrow street circuit at Monaco provides.

The modern Istanbul Park circuit is a driver favourite as it is both anti-clockwise and regarded as high-speed.

The first half of the lap is tight and tricky, but the long straight after Turn 12 is usually the scene of plenty of attacking manoeuvres.

Then there's Turn 8 itself which is, by common consensus, the most thrilling corner on the entire grand prix calendar.

Button describes it as the longest corner he has ever driven with drivers experiencing up to five Gs of force as they tear around at 260kpmh.

Tyres also take a real battering on the circuit so the correct race strategy is also essential.

Anybody seriously contemplating taking on Brawn GP this weekend should take note.

online betting