Motor Sport: The thrill of the new isn't something Formula One has embraced with enthusiasm in recent years.

Ferrari dominance, those old, old saws of internal strife, wranglings over rules and money and the close-minded protectionism that has seen the sport's mandarins of both team and organiser shut the door on anything that may disadvantage them have left the sport looking like a cantankerous member of a gentleman's club - irascible, conservative and prone to outbursts of the political incorrectness. Even its spirit of adventure has paled.

So welcome to Istanbul, an age-old crossroads that this weekend has given Formula One something to feel good about. The track has been a revelation. In the past when German designer Hermann Tilke sketched out circuits for Shanghai, Bahrain, Sepang, a revamped Nurburgring and a tweaked Hockenheim, the ensuing silence has been deafening. Not so here. Like a golf course designer who switches from par-three courses to penning Augusta National, Tilke has penned a circuit which has lit the imagination of the drivers. This, they have said to a man, is fun.

"I think it is a very complete circuit, you can find everything, quick corners, slow corners, change of directions, heavy brakes and everything," said Sauber's Felipe Massa. "I think we can see some overtaking in the race, so I think it is a fantastic circuit, just looking like that. Tomorrow we will have some better idea, but I was really impressed and I think they did a really good job."

"It is a nice track, a unique circuit and a success," said Michael Schumacher. "All in all it is really interesting to drive. I would not compare it to Spa but it certainly has its strengths."

Built in the hills east of Istanbul, the Otodrom has been constructed over four levels. There are fast, sweeping bends, sharp, tumbling turns, strange cambers, in short the promise of a good race. And it couldn't come at a better time. Refreshed after a three-week summer lay-off the sport is racing towards a climax. Six grands prix left, just 26 points between first and second in the drivers' championship, an almost straight fight to the finish between two drivers and the subtle nuance this weekend both protagonists may be inconvenienced by their cars.

So McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen heads into this weekend once again needing not only to win but to comprehensively beat championship leader Fernando Alonso to keep his title charge alive. The sticking point, the McLaren is about as trustworthy as a three-time loser with the keys to your house. His season has been a scattershot sequence of hits and misses. Four wins, three retirements, as host of blown opportunities and blown engines.

And then there's Alonso, the Renault driver who scorched his way through the first half of the season, with four wins before the halfway stage. Since then though he's been reeled in by McLaren. Like a boxer who comes out flailing in the opening rounds, Renault's R25 has collapsed in the latter stages of the fight. Alonso is rope-a-doping his way to the title. Hanging on grimly and waiting for McLaren's pounding to cease, so he can apply the killer blow in the last few seconds of the bout.

But this weekend the technique could have a fatal flaw. Last time out in Hungary, Alonso's Renault was damaged in an early-race collision. The smash was such it hampered the cooling of his engine, the same powerplant he must use at this race. Renault have insisted the repairs they undertook during the race in Budapest have left the engine in good shape but nervous looks will be exchanged at the team whenever the Spaniard's pace flags by even the smallest degree.

Raikkonen though will not have a simple drive to the flag. Lurking in the wings is his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya. Yesterday the Colombian was the quickest of the race drivers to take part in Friday practice, seven-tenths ahead of Raikkonen. There might have been three McLarens in the top four (with only Toyota tester Zonta besting them) but the gap between Montoya and Raikkonen will be a worry, especially if both were on similar fuel load and tyre combinations.

And yesterday Montoya was confident he could wrestle better things out of his McLaren in qualifying and the race.

"The car and our Michelin tyres are working well, but we all have to expect a hard race on Sunday," he said. "Michelin have brought a very good and consistent tyre for this event which is a definite advantage for us. We will keep on working on making further improvements."

For others it will be a harder weekend. Ferrari have again looked wayward, even after a remarkable fightback in Hungary, where Michael Schumacher finished second, which suggested a return to form. Not so. Yesterday the defending champion finished 13th after a series of mishaps. "If you look at the times at the moment I have to say the gap is quite big, so if you see those gaps then at the moment you cannot expect a lot," he said. "But for sure we will work very hard."

It remains, however, a straight fight between Raikkonen and Alonso, though Montoya may yet scupper the Finn.