Formula 1 heads to Turkey for 1st time since 2011

By Mutlu Demirtastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Formula 1 is returning to Turkey with two practice sessions at the Intercity Istanbul Park starting the three-day event on Friday.

There will be also one more practice session on Saturday before the qualifying rounds ahead of Sunday's race.

The Round 14 of the season over 58 laps will take place at the Intercity Istanbul Park on a 5.3-kilometer (some 3.3 miles) track.

- 2 drivers fail to win Turkish Grand Prix despite pole position

Turkey has hosted seven Grand Prix races so far and three drivers won the races after they qualified to start the races from pole position.

Kimi Raikkonen (2005), Felipe Massa (2006, 2007 and 2008) and Sebastian Vettel (2011) won the races after starting from pole position. Mark Webber in 2010 and Sebastian Vettel in 2009 failed to win the races despite both drivers qualified for pole position.

- Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton win Turkish Grand Prix after starting 2nd

The drivers, who completed the qualifying rounds in the second place in 2009 and 2010, crossed the line in the first place at the end of the race.

In 2009, Jenson Button was the first to cross the finish line after starting second behind Sebastian Vettel while Mark Webber started on the pole position in 2010 but Lewis Hamilton became the first driver to claim the title.

- Felipe Massa takes pole position for 3 Turkish races

Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa (3), Sebastian Vettel (2), and Mark Webber also claimed pole position in Istanbul.

Raikkonen from McLaren Mercedes was the first driver who took pole position for the Turkish Grand Prix in 2005.

Ferrari driver Massa sealed pole position three times in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Red Bull driver Vettel took pole position in 2009 and 2011 while another Red Bull driver Webber sealed pole position in 2010.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli in Ankara