Zonta steals it with last gasp stunner

Alastair Moffitt, Istanbul

The teams had undertaken pre-race computer simulations to determine their car set-up before heading to Turkey while many of the drivers had learned the track by playing on their PlayStations.

And after the two hours of practice Brazilian Zonta led the way with a time of 1:25.583 but it was McLaren who suggested they would again be the real favourites this weekend.

McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa finished second, 0.613 seconds slower than Zonta while their race drivers Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, and Finn Kimi Raikkonen claimed third and fourth.

Raikkonen said: “The guys back at base have done a lot of work preparing for this weekend and as a result we seem to have arrived with a good basis and I think we are in good shape.

“It was a bit slippery but the new track is quite interesting and my first impressions are positive.”

Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who is 28 points ahead of Raikonen could manage only seventh fastest time.

Briton Jenson Button finished fifth fastest in his BAR-Honda with Italian Red Bull test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi sixth.

World champion Michael Schumacher could only manage 13th fastest.