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Friday, 9th May 2008

Finnish McLaren star right up at the sharp end in Istanbul - driving as if Barcelona never happened...

“In the first session I stayed on the same set of tyres throughout and experienced no problems. On my last run of the day I put on a new set of tyres, but had a small moment which cost me some time. Overall I am pleased with our initial pace and consistency.”

The Woking-based outfit's team principal Ron Dennis and Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President Norbert Haug were full of praise for Kovalainen's performance, and confident of taking the fight back to Ferrari over the remainder of the meeting.

“Two productive practice sessions,” summarised Dennis. “Both drivers managed to complete their programmes, and both were quick and consistent. A special mention to Heikki, who went out for the first time since his accident and was fast immediately. We seem to be competitive and look forward to the rest of the weekend.”

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“A good first practice day,” concurred Haug. “Lewis' and Heikki's lap times looked reasonable, and we completed our planned programme including tyre evaluation. The best news is that Heikki is back in his car, and he drove and worked with the team as we all know from him.”

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