Verstappen recovered to second, now we see what hamilton can do.
The Burning Questions
With rain forecast over the weekend, will we get a repeat of last year’s thrilling race?
How will Lewis Hamilton recover from, at best, 11th on the grid?
Will Red Bull be struck by the special livery curse?
The Track
THE STATS
- Track Length: 5.338 km
- Laps: 58
- Race Distance: 309.396 km
- Maximum Speed: 324 km/h
- Lap Time at Full Throttle: 59%
- First Grand Prix: 2005
- Race Lap Record: Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren | 2005 | 1:24.770
- Outright Lap Record: Juan Pablo Montoya | McLaren | 2005 | 1:24.770
- Most Driver Wins: Felipe Massa | 2006, 2007, 2008
- Most Constructor Wins: Ferrari | 2006, 2007, 2008
The Trivia
- Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel are the only drivers to have taken multiple pole positions in Turkey
- In the eight Istanbul Park races held so far, 2011 is the only year in which the polesitter has gone on to win the title in the same year
- There were 82 pit stops made in the 2011 Turkish Grand Prix, which is a record for the most pit stops in any dry race in Formula 1 history
- Vettel made his first F1 weekend appearance at Istanbul Park in 2006, where he drove for BMW Sauber during practice and picked up a $1,000 fine just seconds into his career for speeding in the pit lane
The Weather
The Quotes
Lando Norris | “We went through a lot of analysis with the team and myself, what I did and said on the radio. Sometimes you don’t realise the way it can come across, the way you say things. They understand the situation I’m in, the pressure I’m under, especially when you have Lewis behind you in a Mercedes; it’s a difficult position to be in.”
Max Verstappen | “Especially here in Turkey it’s a bit of a question mark. Last year was not really representative, there was a very low grip level so hopefully they solve that for this year.”
Lewis Hamilton | “It’s not a case of ignoring [the pressure] as it’s there. It’s a case of understanding what will be, will be. All you can do is prepare the best way you can and give 100 per cent so I don’t worry about these things.”
Fernando Alonso | “It seems that for [Verstappen] it is not a big deal every weekend and he takes it race by race. I think that’s the right approach for these remaining races.”
The Friday Form
Practice 2 Top 5
1 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:23.804 | 30 Laps
2 | Charles Leclerc | 1:23.970 | 29 Laps
3 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:24.214 | 31 Laps
4 | Sergio Pérez | 1:24.373 | 28 Laps
5 | Max Verstappen | 1:24.439 | 27 Laps
Practice 1 Top 5
1 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:24.178 | 26 Laps
2 | Max Verstappen | 1:24.603 | 24 Laps
3 | Charles Leclerc | 1:24.654 | 27 Laps
4 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:24.842 | 28 Laps
5 | Carlos Sainz | 1:24.860 | 25 Laps
Signs look good for Mercedes pace-wise at the Turkish Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton topping both sessions, but the championship leader will be starting from 11th on the grid at the very best, having received a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new ICE (Internal Combustion Engine).
His title rival Max Verstappen struggled to find a good balance in his Red Bull so the team will have work to do overnight to ensure the flying Dutchman is able to take advantage of Hamilton’s penalty.
The Ferraris seemed to be working well on the Istanbul Park circuit – aided by their new power units – and appear to be genuine contenders for the front two rows.
The Photos
The Predictions
Podium
Pole Position
Fastest Lap
Driver of the Day
