100th GP start for Alonso

The Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park will be the 100th Grand Prix start for Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard made his F1 debut at the 2001 Australian GP and in this time he collected 18 victories. Fernando currently lies in second position in the 2007 standings with 73 points, just seven behind his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton. The double World Champion will take it race by race, but hopes that in the end he'll win the championship for a third consecutive time.

Fernando Alonso "It is always great to have a break and re-charge the batteries, but it is fantastic to be getting back out on track in Turkey. I have a solid points total in the Drivers’ World Championship and I am aiming to build on that considerably in Istanbul. We are in a strong position in both Championships and there are a lot of points to be won in the final six races. However, we are looking at the races one by one, and my focus is on this Grand Prix and getting the best result possible in Turkey."

"I have come second in the two years we have raced here previously and I will be aiming to improve on that this time. The track is great to drive, with some sections that are really on the limit and what you want to race on as a driver, turn eight in particular.

The race itself will prove to be a challenge for the tyres as it us usually very hot: "We race anti-clockwise and this also adds to the tyre wear, with the front right higher than at other tracks. The final factor is that the track is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar, with long fast corners, and this is also tough on tyres but we will work with Bridgestone to set the cars up to cope with these characteristics."