Alonso to take Renault roadshow to Istanbul.

Hot on the heels of a visit to Rome's historic Circus Maximus, Renault's F1 team has confirmed that it will blaze a trail to the new grand prix heartland of Turkey on 15 May.

Current world championship leader Fernando Alonso is pencilled in to demonstrate his R25 on the streets of historic Istanbul as a precursor to the first-ever Turkish Grand Prix, which restarts the F1 season after August's summer break.

"I am pleased that we will be going to Turkey for a new grand prix this year and, while I don't know Istanbul, I am looking forward to going there and having the unique opportunity to drive the F1 car in the streets of such an
historic city!" Alonso said, "The Renault F1 Roadshow in Madrid two years ago was an unforgettable memory for me, and I am sure it will be the same in Istanbul."

Three months before Turkey's inaugural appearance on the F1 calendar, Alonso will appear at the Sultanahmet hippodrome, taking the Renault 'roadshow' to the Turkish capital, where the R25 will be star finale in a parade of
historic racing cars, culminating in ten laps of the country's new F1 circuit. The event will be free, giving people who may never have seen an F1 car up close the chance to breathe in the power and braking capabilities for
the first time.

"Interest in F1 in Turkey is growing every day, and I would like to thank the Governor and Mayor of Istanbul for giving us the opportunity, three months ahead of the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, to present this unique
spectacle to the public," Ibrahim Aybar, managing director of Renault MAIS, commented, "The roadshow is proof of how determined we and the Renault F1 team are to take F1 to the spectators, and get them involved in this exciting sport. I hope the public will turn out in force to share the experience with us."