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Haug: Ferrari the favourites to win in Turkey

Saturday 3rd May 2008

Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug concedes that rivals Ferrari are the favourites to win next weekend's Turkish GP.

Although McLaren won the curtain raiser in Australia, it's Ferrari who have dominated ever since with the Italian stable claiming three victories on the trot, which included back-to-back 1-2s.

Ferrari also have the better record in Istanbul with Felipe Massa having won the last two events. And even when McLaren did win the race it was with Kimi Raikkonen who now races for Ferrari.

Based on those facts even Haug concedes that Ferrari have the upper hand heading to Turkey. "We didn't really shine here in the past, and also this time we are not the current benchmark," he said.

"The team wants to score as many points as possible, but after three consecutive wins Ferrari obviously arrive here as the favourites."

Lewis Hamilton, however, is refusing to write off his chances. The 23-year-old reckons he has the car needed to win but that it could all depend on how well he does in qualifying.

"Qualifying was surprisingly close in Spain, both at the front of the grid and in the midfield. While there are clear chances to overtake at the Istanbul Speed Park, it is going to be vital to qualify well," he said.

"The balance of the car felt good in Spain, and this is really key at Turkey because of the high speed corners. You need to have a stable balance to be quick through them, such as Turn Three.

You also need a very stable car through Turn Eight, to ensure you conserve your Bridgestone Potenzas and that you are able to carry speed through there. This section of the track is key as you can gain a lot of time."

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