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#1051 2021 Turkish Grand Prix

2021-08-10 01:00

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#2021, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Giulia Montemurro,

#1051 2021 Turkish Grand Prix

The Turkish Grand Prix is the sixteenth round of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship. The Circus is hosted by the Intercity Istanbul Park, located i

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The Turkish Grand Prix is the sixteenth round of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship. The Circus is hosted by the Intercity Istanbul Park, located in the Tuzla district, on the outskirts of Istanbul. This circuit hosted all nine editions of the Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix from 2005 to 2011 and between 2020 and 2021, all three editions of the Turkish Grand Prix of the World Championship (from 2005 to 2007) and the Superbike in Istanbul in 2013. The construction works, which began in 2003, were completed close to the Formula 1 Grand Prix, just in time to carry out the homologation; the circuit was then inaugurated on Sunday 21 August 2005, the day of the first edition of the Turkish Grand Prix. The track was designed by Hermann Tilke's studio, former manager of the Sepang, Manama and Shanghai circuits, but unlike these tracks built on flat ground, the chosen area is very hilly, a factor which guarantees various ups and downs and a more varied. The circuit is 5,338 meters long and has 14 bends (8 to the left and 6 to the right) and 4 straights to be tackled in an anti-clockwise direction, an unusual feature on Formula 1 circuits. The maximum speed reached is around 330 km/h, but overall the circuit turned out to be slower than expected, with the difficulties concentrated on the long turn 8 with four apex points, where the drivers are challenged by high lateral G-forces. In 2012 the Turkish Grand Prix was excluded from the Formula 1 World Championship and as a result the organizers did not even apply to the FIA for the renewal of the Grade 1 homologation. In 2015 the track was bought by a local rental company and turned into a used car dealership. In the 2020 Formula 1 season, the circuit was added to the FIA World Championship calendar, to guarantee a certain number of races during the World Championship, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

The record of victories belongs to Felipe Massa, who conquered the 2006, 2007 and 2008 editions with Ferrari. The fastest lap time, however, was set by Juan Pablo Montoya in the 2005 season, aboard the McLaren MP4-20 , with a time of 1'24”770. Before the dispute of the Turkish Grand Prix, on Wednesday 29 September 2021 the organizers of the new Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which will debut as the penultimate round of this season, scheduled for Sunday 5 December 2021, announce that the completion of the works for the construction of the circuit of Jeddah, which began in April, is well behind schedule. Formula 1 and Liberty Media are carefully observing the preparation of the track, without the red alert regarding the organization of the race to date. A few days after Thursday 30 September 2021, the FIA announces the entry into the calendar for the first time in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship of the Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday 21 November 2021, the date on which the Grand Prix was scheduled of Australia, canceled in the previous months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the fifth Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East, after those of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Sakhir, together with the new Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia, which makes its debut this season after the Qatari race. Qatar becomes the 33rd country to host Formula 1. The race will take place at night on the Losail circuit. Ooredoo, the country's main telecommunications provider, is chosen as title sponsor of the event. A ten-year agreement was also signed to have the race on the calendar starting from the 2023 season, on a different venue still to be established with a new track in the design phase, as in the following season the country will focus on hosting the soccer world cup. In this regard, Liberty Media says, through a statement:

 

"There was a great will from Qatar to help F1 and, in the course of this process, a 10-year partnership was discussed and signed. The concrete step after the will to help F1 was short and simple and the will to make F1 a visiting card for Qatar after the 2022 FIFA World Cup was what made this long-term agreement possible. As part of the long-term deal, there will be discussions on the Grand Prix location from 2023 with further details to be provided at a later date".

 

Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Liberty Media, adds:

 

"We are very pleased to welcome Qatar this season and in the long term from 2023. The Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation and the authorities have been incredible and have worked at great speed to ensure that the race takes place this season at the Losail Circuit , known by many because it hosts the MotoGP races. We have shown that we know how to keep adapting and that there is great interest in our sport and the hope for many of being able to host a Grand Prix. The huge effort from all the teams, from F1 and the FIA has made possible a season with 22 races, something impressive in a difficult year like this and something to be proud of".

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Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, president of the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, points out that:

 

"It is a special day for Qatari motorsport and for our nation's ambitions to host major sporting events. I am proud to have helped Formula 1 host a race in our country and in the process achieve a long-term partnership. This agreement means that we will host both F1 and MotoGP for the next decade, which are motorsport's premier events. We have a great history in motorsport and this is the next chapter. Qatar will be a fantastic destination for F1 and we look forward to welcoming the drivers, teams, fans and journalists very soon".

 

While Jean Todt, president of the FIA, concludes by saying:

 

"I congratulate Formula 1, the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation and the Qatari authorities who have worked tirelessly to make the Qatar Grand Prix happen under these difficult conditions. The commitment to this long-term agreement, as well as the organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, demonstrates Qatar's passion for the sport".

 

On Monday 4 October 2021 Stefano Domenicali announces that the number of appointments scheduled for the 2022 season will be twenty-three, a record in the history of Formula 1, one more than in the current season, the same initial number of Grand Prix established for this championship, with the the start of the season set for mid-March and the end, for the first time since 2018, in November, shortly after the middle of the month, to avoid overlapping with the World Cup. It is also announced that Sprint Qualifying, a format tested this season, but only for three Grands Prix, will again be applied to seven or eight races.

 

"The calendar will consist of 23 races and I can say that we will not overextend the new format which includes the Sprint Qualifying on Saturday. It is something that we want to keep for more or less a third of the races to distribute the opportunity to collect prizes and points differently on specific circuits which, as you know, can make the difference".

 

A few days earlier, McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl had expressed his opinion regarding a hypothetical ideal calendar:

 

"From our point of view we think the ideal calendar is 20 races. 15 fixed appointments could be established, with the possibility of rotating the other five remaining locations year after year, in order to be able to explore new markets and new opportunities. Obviously, when these 20 events are established, it will be necessary to take into consideration that these are sustainable for people and the environment. This is a job that will fall to Domenicali but we are confident that he will be able to find the right balance between the commercial interests that we have as a team and the wishes of the people and the media. The most important thing is to be able to maintain a good dialogue between the FIA and F1".

 

On Thursday 7 October 2021, Honda announces that it will produce the power units that will be used by Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri in the 2022 season, subsequently transferring the rights. From 2023, Red Bull Powertrains will assume responsibility for all engine production and maintenance. Koji Watanabe, head of Honda says:

 

"I am delighted to have reached an agreement with the Red Bull Group which will have all intellectual property rights to our power units in F1. Honda can still contribute to success in motor racing. We are now working to strengthen HRC's structure, so it can ensure that our fans can continue to enjoy Honda's role in all types of motorsports".

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Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner adds:

 

"Red Bull's partnership with Honda has been hugely successful and while our relationship in Formula 1 is changing, none of us want there to be an end to the story. We are delighted that our project can be strongly supported by Honda in 2022, technically and operationally, and this will help ensure that Red Bull's transition from a simple chassis manufacturer to an engine builder is seamless. Equally exciting is the news that our partnership with Honda will extend into a range of other motorsport activities, from driver development to other racing disciplines and even the wider sporting world. A stretch of Honda's Formula 1 journey is drawing to a close, but together we are embarking on a new and exciting journey".

 

On the same day, Stefano Bonaccini, president of the Emilia-Romagna region, confirmed the government's allocation of the funds necessary for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix to be held in the 2022 season calendar, with renewal until 2025. The debut of the The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix took place in the 2020 season, in order to replace other races canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was also held this season, as it was added to the calendar as a second round to replace the Chinese Grand Prix, again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The President of the Region, Stefano Bonaccini says:

 

"We are now one step away from an historic milestone and after the decisive step taken by the Government we can finally announce it: the Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola will be confirmed in 2022 and until 2025. the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in the Formula 1 World Championship calendar, its natural place. With the signature of President Draghi, whom I thank, the Government has decided to support the multi-year agreement proposal which, as the Emilia-Romagna Region, we had presented together with the territory. After the last two experimental editions of the race, now the GP at Imola can really go back to being a fixed appointment. After bringing Formula 1 back to Imola at the end of October 2020, 14 years after the last race, with an immediate encore last April - recording the praises of all the drivers, the engine manufacturers and the protagonists of the World Championship - now we want to do a leap in quality. Thanks again to President Draghi and with him to ministers Di Maio, Franco and Giovannini, for the teamwork that allows us to achieve a goal that is not at all obvious. With them the president of Aci, Sticchi Damiani, and Stefano Domenicali, managing director of Formula One Group, who I hope will get to sign the multi-year contract. And obviously the Municipality of Imola, the leaders of the Circuit and CON.AMI. This is a success not only for Imola, Emilia-Romagna - the only region in which F1, MotoGP and Superbike will race - and our Motor Valley, unique on the international scene, but an investment for the whole country. Which will allow the innovation capacity of many companies and the professionalism of many workers of this area to be highlighted even more on a global level. The investments that are being made are there to certify it. And the same will happen with the excellence of Made in Italy".

 

On Saturday 9 October 2021, the organizers of the Mexico City Grand Prix, scheduled for Sunday 7 November 2021, announce that the author of the pole position will receive a special prize concerning a replica of the helmet worn by the Argentine ex-driver Juan Manuel Fangio, winner of five Drivers' World Championships, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the victory of the first world title. Federico Gonzalez Compean, General Manager of the Mexico City Grand Prix, says:

 

"It is a real honor to be able to collaborate with the Juan Manuel Fangio Foundation to offer such a unique gift to the poleman of our event. Fangio is a true ambassador of Formula 1 in Latin America and around the world, and I'm sure all current drivers would like to have such an emblematic helmet in their collection. 70 years have passed since Fangio's first championship title and he still remains one of the sport's best drivers of all time".

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Juan José Carli, president of the foundation dedicated to the Argentine legend, adds:

 

"Fangio is one of the best drivers in the history of F1. This helmet represents a part of his legacy. It will be an honor to be able to deliver it to the driver who will take pole position at this year's Mexico City Grand Prix. The helmet serves as a reminder that a true passion for motorsport can take you to the top level in Formula 1".

 

For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tire supplier, is offering the teams the choice of using C2, C3 and C4 compound tyres, the three central ones in the range. Compared to the previous edition, softer compounds are selected. This choice is based on data collected last year, which showed a circuit with medium levels of wear and low grip, which made the surface extremely slippery. Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, comments:

 

"Turkey was one of the most spectacular and unpredictable races of last season, above all because of the very slippery track due to the poor grip of the new asphalt. The slipperiness of the circuit, aggravated by the rain, took many by surprise, and this is why this year we have opted for a softer compound nomination, as well as the fact that the race takes place more than a month earlier, therefore the temperatures should be higher. After formalizing our nomination, the track underwent a cleaning process with high pressure water jets, which should have led to increased roughness and grip, so there is also the possibility that with softer compounds we will have to face higher levels of wear than last year. This is something we will only discover when we are there, so the work done during free practice will be very useful. Since last year everything was new to us, we had opted for the more conservative choice, wearing the harder tyres. The softer compounds chosen this year will probably also pave the way for some different strategies compared to those of 2020".

 

After receiving heavy criticism regarding the surface of the Istanbul circuit, which during the previous edition did not guarantee enough grip for the Formula 1 cars, the organizers of the Grand Prix and the race director, Michael Masi, on Friday 1 October 2021, officially announce the having solved the grip problem thanks to a specific intervention, inspired by what was done on the Marina Bay track in Singapore, where the high pressure water system is applied. The race director explains:

 

"Every year, we regularly send the teams updates on any changes to the upcoming circuits. In addition to barriers or accesses, they can also be resurfacing areas. In Turkey the surface has actually been treated with high pressure water, and this is a treatment that takes place on a regular basis. We have seen it used permanently in Singapore, for example, where public roads are resurfaced on a regular basis. This is what happened in Türkiye along with other changes. At the end of the last race here we said it would be a matter of time to be able to perfect this aspect, and so it was".

 

Furthermore, a new curb is added at the exit of turns 1, 5 and 14, while the space dedicated to the safety car and the medical car inside the pit lane is extended, to ensure that the latter does not get in the way of the last pitch in the pits. Before the start of the third free practice session on Saturday, two bumps are installed outside the curb of curve 1. There are two areas indicated by the Federation where the riders can use the Drag Reduction System: the first area is located between the curve 11 and turn 12, with a point for determining the gap between riders placed before turn 9; the second zone is established on the pit straight, with a detection point set after turn 13. The Federation establishes three points of the track in which the drivers will be forced to respect the limits. The points in question concern the exit of curves 1, 6 and 14: if the limits are not respected in these curves, the times will be canceled by the race direction and, in the case of curve 14, also the time recorded subsequently. 

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After the accident involving the French driver Romain Grosjean during the early stages of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, the Federation has been active since the beginning of the championship to improve the protection offered by the suit and gloves. In any free practice session, five drivers, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz Jr., Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell, will use a new model of gloves which are expected to have better resistance to heat transfer.

 

"Since the beginning of 2021, the FIA Safety Department has been carrying out a research project with the aim of improving the protection from heat transmission on driver gloves. Progress in terms of protection must be balanced with comfort and the ability to exit the car easily and safely. To fully evaluate these new gloves, it is necessary to evaluate them during track tests. These are innovative products that cannot be approved before their approval by the World Council. The Safety Commission has approved by majority the possibility of use during private and official tests of Formula 1, Formula E, WRC and WEC. The Commissioners thus authorized five drivers to use these prototype gloves in the three free practice sessions of the Turkish Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and George Russell".

 

The Federation announces that at the end of the race of the previous Russian Grand Prix, the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz Jr. was drawn among the top ten classified cars for the technical checks. They were found to comply with the technical regulation. Before the start of FP1, the fourth internal combustion engine unit was installed on Lewis Hamilton's car. The British driver will be penalized and will lose ten positions on the starting grid. It will be a big problem for Lewis Hamilton, who in this final phase of the World Championship is engaged in a difficult recovery in the standings against Max Verstappen. The British driver admits, on the eve of the Turkish Grand Prix:

 

"It's never easy to come back, if we look at the last race for example, you can get stuck behind some cars that are not easy to overtake. But we showed good pace this weekend, we didn't expect to have such a strong pace and I hope to be able to take advantage of it tomorrow. The key to the race will be to stay out of trouble and try to be aggressive from the start. Will will show me the way".

 

And Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff adds:

 

"We're not trying to stock up on engines, which would incur the penalties we're serving today, it's just that over the course of the season we've had a few small problems, that we weren't entirely sure where they came from and how much they would cost us in terms of performance. We prefer to have a new engine available which, while including the handicap of any penalty, can last longer".

 

Regarding the possibility of installing a fifth unit, the Austrian manager admits:

 

"I really hope not even though I know we will have to face very tough tests. We'll see how things develop, but I can't say that there won't necessarily be the possibility of assembling the fifth unit as happened to Bottas. Usually the fourth engine should be sufficient to express good performance".

 

Furthermore, the fourth unit relating to the internal combustion engine, the turbocharger and the MGU-H, and the third unit relating to the energy recovery system and the electronic control unit are installed on Carlos Sainz Jr.'s car. The Spanish rider will therefore be forced to start from the back of the grid. The former Formula 1 driver, Enrique Bernoldi, is appointed assistant commissioner by the Federation. The Brazilian has already performed this function in the past, most recently in the previous Russian Grand Prix. For this Grand Prix, like the previous one, the English car manufacturer Aston Martin will supply the safety car and the medical car. Initially the Grand Prix was not scheduled in the 2021 season calendar. 

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Due to the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Prix is initially included in this season's calendar, scheduled for Sunday 13 June 2021, replacing the Grand Prix of Canada canceled due to pandemic. Subsequently the Grand Prix was postponed due to the restrictions imposed by the United Kingdom on travelers from Turkey due to the problems dictated by the health emergency, and was replaced by the Styrian Grand Prix. The following month, the Turkish Grand Prix was brought back to the calendar to replace the Singapore Grand Prix, again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race was later postponed by one week due to a reduction in the number of events on the calendar. It is the first time that the Turkish Grand Prix has been held in the month of October. Unlike the previous edition held behind closed doors due to the pandemic, and run for the first time in November, the Grand Prix will register the presence of the public in the grandstands, as established in the majority of previous races which have taken place in Europe. In fact, an attendance of 100,000 spectators is expected over the course of the weekend. On Wednesday 1 September 2021, Red Bull Racing filed a complaint with the FIA against Mercedes. The Anglo-Austrian team claimed that the opposing team, in the last few races, had managed to get more horsepower in the acceleration phase by cooling the air. According to article 5.6.8 of the technical regulation, the air temperature inside the plenum must be at least 10 °C higher than the ambient temperature. However, on the eve of the Turkish Grand Prix, the Federation rejects the Anglo-Austrian team's protest, removing any doubts regarding an alleged regularity of the Mercedes engine. The Maranello team is entered in the Turkish Grand Prix with the initials Scuderia Ferrari, without the title sponsor Mission Winnow, as the brand proposed by Philip Morris is perceived by local legislation as a form of indirect advertising for tobacco. The logo is obscured by the chassis of the SF21 as well as by the overalls of the mechanics and drivers, as happened in some rounds of the 2019 World Championship and throughout the 2020 season. In this championship, the logo was obscured on the occasion of the French Grand Prix and of Italy, while instead it was made usable by the Bahrain Grand Prix, the inaugural race of the season, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, together with the previous Russian Grand Prix. Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto will not be present at the Turkish Grand Prix. As happened on several occasions last year, Mattia Binotto prefers to stay at the Maranello headquarters to concentrate on development work on next season's single-seater, following all the track sessions in constant contact with the team. Responsibility for the team will be entrusted to the sporting director, Laurent Mekies. The Maranello team also announces that five guys are starting their careers in the Ferrari F1 Engineering Academy. Two girls and three boys from Italian and British universities have been divided into two groups, power unit and chassis, and will be operational for six months. Red Bull Racing takes to the Turkish Grand Prix in a celebratory livery, paying homage to Honda at the weekend that was previously scheduled to host the Japanese Grand Prix before it was canceled for the second consecutive season due to the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19. Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says:

 

"With the race canceled due to the pandemic we have decided to pay homage to Honda by bringing some of its heritage to Istanbul. The livery chosen for our cars pays homage to Honda's journey in F1 and we hope to be able to give the fans a another win this weekend with those legendary colors".

 

The English manager also talks about the close relationship with the Japanese manufacturer in recent years, and the ambitions of Red Bull Powertrains which will inherit it:

 

"The collaboration between Red Bull Racing and Honda has been hugely successful and while our relationship in Formula 1 is changing, neither of us want this to be the end of this partnership. We are very pleased that our ambitious and exciting Red Bull Powertrains project will be strongly supported by Honda, technically and operationally, in 2022 and this will help ensure that Red Bull's transition to chassis and power unit manufacturer status is seamless. Equally exciting is the news that our partnership with Honda will extend to a variety of motorsport activities, from nurturing young drivers to other disciplines in the racing and sports world. This chapter in Honda's Formula 1 history is coming to an end, but together we are embarking on a new and exciting journey".

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Koji Watanabe, Honda Head of Brand and Communications, adds:

 

"Everyone at Honda is extremely disappointed that the Japanese Grand Prix has been cancelled, whilst fully understanding and sharing the reasons for this decision. As well as being our last year in F1 we were looking forward to racing at the Suzuka circuit at a time when both of our teams are achieving very good results. Furthermore, the Japanese fans were particularly looking forward to seeing Yuki Tsunoda at his home race. We know that a special livery is no substitute for what would have been a very exciting weekend, but we hope that the fans of the Honda around the world, especially those in Japan, will accept this special livery as a small token of our thanks for their continued support over so many years".

 

On Thursday 7 October 2021, the Federation announced that the South African Alan van der Merwe, who covers the role of driver of the medical car, and Dr. Ian Roberts, present on board the car, will be forced not to take part in the Grand Prix of Turkey due to their positivity to SARS-CoV-2. The two will be replaced by Portuguese Formula E safety car driver Bruno Correia and Dr. Bruno Francheschini.

 

"Thanks to all of you for the wonderful messages and thoughts you have given me, I am fine and will try to make the most of this unexpected free weekend. This is my second time contracting the Coronavirus and I am relieved to be able to testify that the second time is much milder than the first. I thank the immune system of our species. Enjoy the Grand Prix".

 

On the eve of the Turkish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen greets Honda by recalling the last few years spent together:

 

"It's a real shame not to race at Suzuka in Japan this year, I really like the track and the fans in Japan are moved by deep passion. In any case, I am happy to pay homage to that appointment by sporting a celebratory livery dedicated to Honda in Turkey. Working together with Honda has been a pleasure, they are highly motivated and work with passion in trying to bring the best possible material to the track. The first victory with Honda in Austria in 2019 was very emotional, I remember with pleasure all the victories we took together and now the goal is to increase the tally. Last year was obviously not the best weekend for us as a team, but I think this year the circumstances will be very different, let's hope that the new asphalt will guarantee a little more grip and traction. I think the weekend will be a blank page for everyone, I can't wait to get on track to assess our level of competitiveness".

 

The circuit is almost unknown to most of the participants. Therefore, Sergio Perez shows up in Istanbul after doing a lot of work on the simulator:

 

"Ahead of Turkey, we spent a lot of time on the simulator to improve and analyze what didn't work in the last few races. I must also say that I was quite unlucky. In Istanbul I want to score important points again to give us momentum in the run-up to Mercedes. It's a real shame not to race in Japan, especially this year when I would have done it as a Honda rider. Japanese culture has always fascinated me and it was wonderful to breathe it within Red Bull working side by side with Honda personnel. Plus I really like the Suzuka track. We will give our best in Türkiye for them too".

 

Fernando Alonso is one of the few drivers who can boast some experience on the Istanbul circuit, where he raced numerous editions of the Turkish Grand Prix in the past:

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"I have good memories of the Turkish Grand Prix. It's a circuit with a good mix of high-speed corners and overtaking opportunities. Turn 8 is a unique challenge and I am looking forward to tackling it in a modern Formula 1 car. I had a great battle with Michael Schumacher there in 2006. He was right behind my gearbox coming out of the last corner on the last lap. That was just one of many on-track battles we had that season. We have had some good races this year and above all we have been consistent. We need to maintain this continuity and score even more points for the team to finish the season on top".

 

The Spanish rider is very critical of the media, and complains of a different treatment compared to other riders:

 

"Judging by the questions asked here in Istanbul, they only confirm that there is always a different behavior and repercussion on me during the event following my manoeuvre. Maybe now the regulation on escape routes will be changed on the first lap and in the first two corners. I was the idiot who, during this championship, suffered overtaking of this kind in the first races. I remember the two appointments in Austria, and no one asked the questions that are asked of me during the subsequent rehearsals. Now, after Sochi, a question of this kind immediately comes. It confirms what I have already said: there are different rules depending on the riders, and different topics to discuss with some riders than with others. We will see the next one who will cross the white line at the pit lane entrance, we will see what nationality he will be and what penalty he will incur".

 

His teammate, Esteban Ocon, talks about his relationship with the Istanbul Park circuit and says he likes the track:

 

"I like Istanbul Park because it's a really beautiful circuit. It was my first time racing there last year, as it was for many riders on the grid, and it certainly lived up to expectations. When it was announced that we would be racing in Turkey again, I was quite happy as I feel I have something to settle there. Last year was an interesting weekend for many reasons. The track had been resurfaced and at the beginning it was difficult to find grip on the track. Then, when the track started to rubber, it rained on Saturday and it was probably the hardest conditions I've ever ridden in".

 

Pierre Gasly talks about the ambitions he has in this race weekend, after the enormous disappointment that the result of the Russian Grand Prix caused him:

 

"We have lost an excellent opportunity in Russia and we have not been able to express the best of our potential. Since then we've been working to figure out what went wrong in order to be more competitive again, starting with Turkey. Meanwhile I spent some time with my family in France, where I relaxed and devoted myself to initiatives I hadn't covered for a long time, as well as continuing my training anyway and talking to the engineers to stay focused. Last year was my first race in Istanbul: I liked the circuit layout, very technical and with interesting corners. Among these are the three to tackle consecutively on the left, at turn 8, which require some physical preparation. In qualifying you face them quickly and at the maximum, reaching 270-280 km/h at around 5G. Last year we encountered difficulties with the grip, which made it difficult to define the set up of the car, especially in wet conditions. Things should go better this weekend, also because I think there have been some interventions to improve the asphalt conditions. We'll see but in any case I'm looking forward to tackling a very nice track to ride with different trajectories. I hope to be competitive and to shorten the gap from Alpine, which is ahead of us in the standings".

 

The French driver also returns to talk about a possible opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing, after the Anglo-Austrian team replaced him in the middle of the 2019 season:

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"I am performing at a higher level than in the past, I have more experience and I believed that based on my performance this year, I could deserve a chance at Red Bull. But they decided differently and I'm happy for them, also because they're having a season full of satisfactions. I have taken note of it but this does not stop my ambitions. My goal is to return to Red Bull, I think I won't surprise anyone. I want to get back into the car that would allow me to fight for victories and podiums, and that will always be my goal: that's what I'm working towards every morning, trying to be a better driver. I will keep pushing and try to get my chance in the future because I want to fight to win the World Cup. Let me be clear, this discussion is not at all related to Sergio, on the contrary I was in his position. It's simply the relationship I have with Red Bull".

 

Yuki Tsunoda will race for the first time in Türkiye. Seeing the circuit, the Japanese driver hypothesizes that the latter could put him in difficulty on a physical level:

 

"In Russia it was a disappointment for me. Until qualifying everything was going well, and I'm also making progress. I seemed to feel more comfortable with the intermediates than at Spa, and it was for this reason that it was frustrating not being able to place in Q3, by the way, by the way. In the race I then lost positions at the start, I had no grip and I was stuck in the rear with dirty air for most of the GP. I spent the last few days at the headquarters, evaluating what happened in Sochi and training for Istanbul with the simulator, completing many laps. Thanks to the latter, which is the most realistic I've ever used, I was able to test what happened in the last race, as well as plan for next weekend. Last year there was no Formula 2 race in Turkey so it will be the first time for me there. I saw the test of Formula 1, and I noticed a difficulty on the part of the drivers in maintaining control. I know this year will be different, as several works have been completed on the track surface. I will follow my approach with the new tracks, gradually increasing the speed. In the last five races I have been quite consistent, but not in terms of pace and performance. As a result, I will try to pick up the pace to be more competitive. In dry conditions, we'll have to prepare physically to face some corners, on all of the 8: it will be tough, but I can't wait".

 

Kimi Räikkönen hopes to continue the positive momentum started in Sochi, where he managed to finish the race in the top ten:

 

"It's always nice to finish in the top ten, especially when we've come so close to this goal so many times. The result took place in very specific conditions, so we can't get a lot of relevant information from it, but at the same time we had to make some right choices and we succeeded. We have kept our cool in difficult times. Turkey will be another interesting Grand Prix: last year it proved to be an eventful race, and certain weather conditions could repeat itself. We will need to be smart and see how certain situations change over the weekend".

 

The weekend in Russia didn't go in the best way for Antonio Giovinazzi, but the Italian rider is confident about the next round of the championship:

 

"I can't wait to get back to racing in Türkiye. The last race weekend was not easy and I think we could have achieved more. But Sochi is the past, I can't wait to go back to Istanbul. I remember our experience at this circuit last year: it was a unique race and, although we cannot expect the low grip conditions of 2020 to repeat, we know that we must be ready for anything that may happen. The good team result in Sochi was a boost for all of us and we want to use it for this weekend".

 

As for the driver market, the Alfa Romeo team principal, Fred Vasseur, who is looking for a second driver to work alongside Valtteri Bottas, talks about the rumors regarding a possible signing of the French driver Oscar Piastri:

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"He won, in a row, Formula Renault Eurocup, F3 in his first year and now F2, he's not ready yet, but he's doing a very good job. For me he is clearly one of the best in the junior series. But as far as I know he is related to Alpine. If you invest in one driver for all the youth series and to have a long-term program with him, I don't see the point of letting him go to another team in F1, that would be strange. We are in no hurry to make a decision, we have a couple of options on the table and we need to take the time to decide. We are in discussions with all parties involved and it is not an easy choice. We are at the beginning of the new regulation, it is a new journey for F1. We have to consider all aspects. We will make a decision in the next two weeks".

 

Although the Williams team does not have great expectations from this World Championship, George Russell can't wait to be able to race in Istanbul and possibly try to get a top-ten finish:

 

"I am looking forward to Turkey. When we raced there in 2020 the surface felt like ice however slippery it was. And it actually gave us a lot of opportunities! I don't think it will be the same again this year, but we will be prepared for whatever conditions there may be. I hope we can go flat out into Turn 8, it will be exciting with these cars. Given the trend in the last few races, we go to Turkey full of confidence: we hope to be able to get another good result".

 

Nicholas Latifi is also eager to get on track:

 

"I'm excited to hit the track in Türkiye! It was a unique experience for everyone in 2020, due to the rain and very low grip levels, but let's hope these situations have improved slightly this time around. It can be a demanding circuit, especially with turn 8, but I think we are much better equipped to take on this challenge. We have done well in the last few races and I am looking forward to continuing this trend in Istanbul Park".

 

There has been a lot of talk about increasingly dense calendars and commitments for the 2022 season. In this regard, Sebastian Vettel underlines the need for a more sustainable calendar on a human and environmental level:

 

"We can't overlook the fact that we are a group of people who travel around the globe if we have 52 weekends in a year, and we live 23 of those for the races, there's a two month period where you can't organize a GP. This obviously leads to a very busy season. The goal should be to find a sustainable solution to face the season; not only from an environmental point of view, but also in terms of human resources. If you have that many people involved, the weekends are much longer than the Saturday-Sunday we see on TV. I think we riders are on the lucky side. Whether they are engineers, mechanics or members of the team in general, many of them have families and children at home who they want to see and spend time with them. We should pay much more attention to establish what are the real interests".

 

The thought of Daniel Ricciardo also joins this reflection:

 

"It is essential that teams maintain relationships with members of other realities. We stay away from our homes for long periods, especially on consecutive weekends, so it's important to build relationships to counteract the melancholy of being away from loved ones. I really hope that next year there will be this interaction, not only on the track, but also with social events that can help us. I think it's the best way to fight the stress of travel and other elements such as fatigue".

 

Next, Sebastian Vettel analyzes the challenge for the victory of the World Championship involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen:

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"When something is very important to you and you care about it, you can't always be cold and have everything under control. It was like that for me. But maybe Max is different in that sense, he's not a newcomer and he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. He is still young and potentially has a lot of time ahead of him in F1. That's why he probably manages to have such a calm approach which is a great strength".

 

As mentioned, Carlos Sainz Jr. will have to serve a penalty due to the replacement of the power, which will force him to start from the back of the grid. However, the Spanish driver takes the news philosophically:

 

"It's not that bad, if you face a weekend with a new power unit you could get a good performance to contribute to team development, so I can't be disappointed. Of course, that involves starting from the back of the field, but I've performed well in these circumstances in the past, and so I'm ready for this challenge. The goal is to prepare for the race, making sure the car has the right set-up for every possible condition, including the high fuel load. So, I'm fine with facing a different weekend with a different approach, I find it exciting to have nothing to lose, also because you are aware that you can take a few more risks. This last period has been important for obtaining vouchers. The first three races of the second half of the season have been good, but nothing special. I expected to take a further step, and this podium confirms that this was done above all by better understanding the car. In Sochi I had an excellent weekend, getting away well and taking the lead of the race, to then finish third. Overall everything went well, and this gives me confidence to face this last part of the season. We all expect there to be more grip but we don't know how much. If it's like in Portimão, where the grip isn't exceptional, but still good, it will be fun. If it's like Barcelona or Silverstone, where there is excellent grip, it will be equally beautiful, also because the temperature of the tires will be unknown. For my personal interest, I would like extreme conditions: the more it is like this, the more different scenarios can happen, and maybe there will be more opportunities for me".

 

Charles Leclerc has other thoughts on his mind. The Monegasque driver is asked about the outburst he had after last race, here in Istanbul, and says:

 

"I've learned that in certain moments, however angry or disappointed you may be, it's not useful to vent like this in the radio team. I think every driver reacts the way he does on the radio, but I think I've grown a bit since then, I act a bit different now. I don't expose myself like this anymore in the radio teams, but they are races in which everything seems to go in the right direction, and even if you start from the rear you find yourself fighting for second place. It's hard to accept that all these efforts are thrown away in the last three corners, but that's the way it is. I hope to have a good weekend this year: in 2020 we were very competitive, this year the conditions could change a bit, because the asphalt has been cleaned several times, but let's see how it goes and how competitive we will be. I hope we will be like in 2020 to have a great result here on Sunday. Sochi was a great race. If we take away the final five laps, I really enjoyed the drive. I don't know how much Russia has been indicative in terms of gains in the power unit, I think that from this point of view we will know a little more this weekend, especially with a good qualifying against our closest rivals. But it's going in the right direction, the numbers say so and it's encouraging for the rest of the season, it motivates us to hunt down McLaren".

 

And regarding the challenge between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the Scuderia Ferrari driver says:

 

"It's very difficult to say too much, but instinct tells me Verstappen. So far overall he's been quicker than Hamilton".

 

Feelings also shared by the Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner:

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"I think Max will win the title this year. So if I believe that Red Bull has the best car? I did not say this. I said Max is the rider to beat".

 

On the eve of the Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton reveals some tricks that he uses to better manage the pressure deriving from the fight that sees him pitted against Max Verstappen:

 

"The most important thing is to be able to get back on track fresh, renewed, positive and worry-free. I believe I am capable of doing all of this, and I love my job. I try to take it one weekend at a time, like the races, always trying to improve. I spend most of my time talking to the team about how to perfect it and, having done that for a long time, I've also found my own style. What I can do is not suitable for everyone, and I've found a way to move, what I can and can't allow myself, adapting accordingly. You cannot ignore it, because it exists, you simply have to consider what will happen when it occurs. All you can do is prepare yourself to the best of your ability, giving 100%. I'm not worried about these aspects; I've been very lucky in the past. I've had ups and downs, and I've grown a lot over the years. Why on earth should I worry about what might happen? I just want to make sure of the work I've done with the guys at the venue, with Peter Bonnington and with the team. Now I just want to fight and live in the moment".

 

And, at the same time, the Briton tries to shift attention to rivals Red Bull Racing by labeling them as favorites to win the Turkish Grand Prix:

 

"Do I usually increase my performance in autumn? I don't know, this year we are not developing the car as much as we have in the past. There was a development direction that I wanted to take but we can't because we are focusing on next season. But if you can't get 100% out of the car at this point in the season, then I wonder what you've been up to for the rest of the year. Of course, I was hoping for a better second half of the season, but Red Bull was too strong. And it has been in many races. Verstappen in Sochi was already sixth or seventh on lap 20. This shows how competitive their car is: it has no problems, it can overtake anyone and we have to take note of that. They have been developing the car for longer than us, I think they have had updates at every race. I don't know if they are still developing, but we haven't been doing it since Silverstone. We are simply trying to extract 100% from the package we have available. This is the challenge and we are giving everything we have".

 

On Friday 8 October 2021 the track is much cleaner than the previous year, and therefore the cars can already be fast. During FP1 Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time, lapping over four seconds already fast compared to the best time senate during the two free practice sessions of the previous year. The World Champion precedes Max Verstappen by more than 0.4 seconds who, in turn, detaches the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc by a few thousandths of a second. The two cars from Maranello also proved to be competitive in terms of race pace. During FP1, rakes are mounted on Carlos Sainz Jr.'s car to collect data relating to air flows. A similar study was carried out by Aston Martin on Sebastian Vettel's car. Thirteen times have been canceled for riders for having exceeded the track limits at the exit of turn 1, five times canceled for having exceeded the limits at the exit of turn 6 and five times canceled for having exceeded the limits at the exit of turn 14, during the first free practice session on Friday. In the first case, the times of Pierre Gasly (four times), Nikita Mazepin and Antonio Giovinazzi (twice), Lance Stroll, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez (once) are cancelled; in the second case the times of Kimi Räikkönen and Charles Leclerc (twice), Fernando Alonso (once) are cancelled; in the third case, the times of Pierre Gasly (twice), Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Antonio Giovinazzi (once) were cancelled. Lewis Hamilton manages to be the already fast even during FP2. The British Mercedes driver, together with Charles Leclerc, completes a lap under the limit of 1'24"0. The Monegasque sets a time just a few thousandths slower than the one set by the British driver. Valtteri Bottas follows, preceding the two Red Bull Racing of Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen. The Mercedes team, after acknowledging the presence of greater grip than expected, opts for the use of a more relaxed set-up - as regards the rear wing - compared to the first free practice session. 

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The first part of the afternoon session was conditioned by a strong wind, which caused numerous spins, without consequences for either the drivers or the single-seaters. There are twenty-three times canceled for riders for exceeding the track limits at the exit of turn 1, one time canceled for exceeding the limits at the exit of turn 6 and one time canceled for exceeding the limits at the exit of turn 14, during the second free practice session on Friday. In the first case, the times of Nikita Mazepin and Carlos Sainz Jr. (three times), Pierre Gasly, Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Sergio Pérez (twice), George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Mick Schumacher, Esteban are canceled Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc (once); in the second and third cases, Nikita Mazepin's time is canceled. At the end of FP2, the transmissions were replaced on the cars of Valtteri Bottas and Antonio Giovinazzi. The two pilots will not suffer penalties. At the end of the first day of testing, Max Verstappen appears worried:

 

"We changed a few things during practice compared to the morning, but even then it wasn't going great, we need to evaluate and figure out what to do. This circuit is different, we don't have a lot of data with these cars. We will have a somewhat heavy evening to try to improve the situation. Today was not the best day. The track is beautiful in normal conditions, but we hope to do better in the next few days. We have to improve, otherwise the situation does not seem to be ideal. We'll see what we can do tonight. The Lewis penalty? It's his business. We have to think about ourselves. Today didn't go too well. We have to work on it".

 

The same certainly cannot be said by his rival, Lewis Hamilton, who prefers to dwell on the track conditions:

 

"The track conditions are very different compared to a year ago, when there was new asphalt and the oil came up. This time they cleaned the track well a few days before we started shooting. We weren't sure what to expect, but there's a lot more grip than in the past. It's a very intense feeling and it's a lot more fun to drive here than last year. We started with a good set-up, the first session was very positive and we only made a few changes for the afternoon. Then the track is obviously evolving and changes from session to session. With the track changes I didn't feel so comfortable in FP2, but we found a lot of information and we hope it will be useful to us. I need to make the best time to limit the damage. And then of course I have to understand the car to be able to do the best in terms of long runs. I'm trying to find the right balance on the car. There is no real difference, I would say, compared to any other weekend. Leclerc will be difficult to pass, as are Alpine and McLaren. They seem to be getting better and better throughout the year. I don't know if they are bringing any updates, but it's good to see them get stronger and I hope they are next year as well".

 

Valtteri Bottas predicts a very close fight between Mercedes, Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull Racing:

 

"Today the track was much faster than last year! FP1 was over ten seconds quicker than it was in 2020, and the track has become one of the most grippy tracks we've visited. This makes the track a lot of fun, and I enjoyed driving on it myself. Last year the balance was aimed at correcting understeer due to low grip, but now we can be a little more aggressive with the setup. In FP1 we were all trying to adjust and read the balance; In the afternoon the car was even better. There have been no hiccups, no red flags, so we have been riding a lot and it looks like it could be a positive weekend for us. Looking at the timesheet, it looks like it's a good track for Ferrari, but I'm sure Red Bull has a lot of potential to discover, like all of us. We will all be very close".

 

On the other hand, Andrew Shovlin seems very worried, speaking of the possible difficulty that Lewis Hamilton could face in the race, during the comeback phase:

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"The indications given by free practice show that it will be a challenge for Lewis to overtake on track, but we are evaluating all the options available in terms of strategy and car configuration to allow us to fight on Sunday. Valtteri had a good start to the weekend. He seemed to be ahead of Max today. We will work hard to try and maintain this gap. It would obviously give a big boost in both championships if we could have Valtteri up front on Saturday and Sunday. We had a solid day today, both cars are showing good pace over single laps and long runs. We had to vary the setup over the course of the day, because the track had more grip than we expected, but we seem to have found the right value. We need to look at the data to understand the placement of the three tire compounds in terms of pace and degradation. We expected them to suffer a little more given the types of corners here, but they seem to be holding up surprisingly well".

 

Despite the unforeseen difficulties of this first day of practice, Sergio Perez does not give up, and indeed indicates what actions to take to prepare as best as possible:

 

"It was a positive day overall, and with all the work we'll do tonight, we can hope for a good qualifying. Today I was very surprised by the increase in grip. Now it looks like a real circuit, although it is still a challenge, as it is not quite consistent yet. Sometimes when you enter the corner you have more grip than when you come out. Consequently, it is difficult for a driver to adapt to these track characteristics. Mercedes look very strong here but hopefully overnight we will be able to make up a couple of tenths and be in good shape for tomorrow. It's all about compromises, if you're trying to get the ideal qualifying balance on one lap, at which point you compromise the long-term pace a bit, which is important as overtaking is relatively easy here. There could be rain for tomorrow's qualifying, but we will still be well prepared, regardless of the weather".

 

While the team principal of Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, responding to the allegations regarding the decision of the Mercedes team to replace the power unit again on Lewis Hamilton's car, which could seem a strategy to have less worn components than the competition, says:

 

"From what we understand, I think it was more of a forced decision than a strategic one. By the way, we have noticed that they have had similar problems in other teams as well. However, this shows how hard and complex it is to finish the World Championship with just three engines. We didn't make it either and, fortunately, we'll make it with four. All possible changes can be made, but something can always happen. You can never enjoy the stability that you can predict, from here to the end, in situations created by simulations. There may be other problems, but we'll see. Obviously, we took the penalties and put ourselves in a good position by installing additional battery parts, MGU-H and MGU-K. Lewis only did this with the internal combustion engine, which naturally results in less loss of grid positions. However, all this will put the other components under greater stress from now until the end of the World Championship".

 

Carlos Sainz Jr., who will have to serve a penalty and who will therefore start from the pit lane, tries to gain strength by seeing the performance offered by his teammate:

 

"Charles rode more with low downforce, seeing him who can fight for the podium on the one hand gives me confidence. I could also be there fighting on Saturday and Sunday, even if I clearly have to recover many positions. On the other hand though he knocks me down a bit, because I could have been there fighting too, watching the pace of the car this weekend. I only did a couple of laps [on low fuel] to test the car on less fuel. This is to have a reference in those conditions. But 99% of the session we did with a lot of fuel, to try to understand the degradation of the tires and the different set-ups, so as to help the team and myself understand the problems we have on the front tyres. This is a track that affects the front a lot, especially for the famous turn 8. All the corners make the track very understeer".

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While Charles Leclerc preaches calm, despite the excellent results of the two free practice sessions:

 

"There is much more grip than last year and the feeling was good throughout the day, but we mustn't get too carried away because I think the top teams still have cards to discover. We did well even with a lot of fuel. Everything looks good for now, but it's only Friday. We have to keep our head down and work to try and optimize the car set-up in order to run a perfect qualifying tomorrow. I'm satisfied with the car, when the rear moves around the slippery circuit, I'm happy. I like playing with it and making the car spin. I wouldn't change the setup from that point of view. If it rains, we'll see. Here last year we were competitive with the intermediates in the wet. With full wet tyres, on the other hand, it's more difficult for us: let's see if and how much it rains".

 

The sporting director of Scuderia Ferrari, Laurent Mekies, speaks instead of the importance of the new power unit, also mounted in the car of Carlos Sainz Jr. as well as in that of Charles Leclerc:

 

"The main goal of the new hybrid system was to anticipate some of the work we are doing for next year. We are trying to validate the development direction we have taken for next season's power unit. We mounted the engine on Charles' car and he worked without problems throughout the weekend, reaching his first goal. In terms of performance, it's not something that can change the balance of power, but we're talking about small steps, but in the right direction. We also decided to mount it on Carlos' car, a little ahead of plans for him too. It is still too early to carry out analyzes on the competitiveness with respect to the opponents. We have only one race weekend behind us and obviously it will be necessary to wait until next year to see if we have managed to close the gap with our rivals".

 

Lance Stroll pauses to talk about the condition of the circuit, which was much better than the previous year:

 

"Today was about discovering a circuit that has recently undergone major works to improve the grip compared to last year. Not to mention the wind conditions, which were tough for everyone out there. For our part, there are some positives to take today but we know that we need to find more pace in the car for the rest of the weekend. I am confident that I can do it and we are also aiming to improve the balance of the car. The main thing is that we know what we have to do. We will leave tonight and work hard to move forward".

 

And Sebastian Vettel is of the same idea, who managed to get on the podium in the last edition of the Grand Prix:

 

"Overall I think we had a good start to the weekend. We found a baseline during FP1 and in the afternoon we explored the limits and tried different things. For qualifying, however, I think there will be more to learn during tomorrow's FP3, which is positive. After the recent work done here, the track is very similar, but with different grip conditions, so the objectives haven't changed much. For example, we know it's very important to have a strong front, or you risk paying a lot in one ride. Our task now is to optimize what we learned in both sessions and have a good qualifying session tomorrow".

 

As for the Alpine, Esteban Ocon is truly amazed by the competitiveness shown by his car on this first day of testing:

 

"It was a very solid Friday for us and probably also one of the best we have faced this year. We arrived here not knowing what conditions we would encounter. Now I can say that the grip level has increased a lot compared to last season, maybe it's even one of the best we've experienced during this championship. It's great to ride in these conditions to fully enjoy the track layout. We had an excellent performance this morning, finishing close to the top five and repeating ourselves in the top ten this afternoon too. We learned a lot today and we want to put everything into practice for tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do".

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And Fernando Alonso also says he is extremely satisfied with the work done here:

 

"Today was like discovering a new track for the first time, I think it was the same feeling for everyone after last year's grip problems. It seems that everything is back to normal which is a great aspect as it will allow us to get more confidence with the car during the lap. We didn't make any major changes to the car between one session and another and therefore we focused a lot on the behaviour of the tyres. The weather conditions will be the big unknown for tomorrow, but I suppose we will be ready to face any circumstance".

 

Antonio Giovinazzi is of the same opinion as the Spanish Alpine rider. At the end of the day of testing, the Italian driver stops to talk about the evolution of the grip which, compared to the previous year, manages to guarantee the track:

 

"I'm happy to have regained grip on this track right from the first lap of FP1. It really looks like a completely different circuit and it was also fun thanks to the good balance of the car. Overall, it was a great Friday. It's easier to find the right sensations with the car when there's grip, we can lap with more confidence and the first indications for tomorrow are promising. We just have to look at what the weather will be like for tomorrow: we did well in the dry, but we'll adapt to any conditions".

 

Kimi Raikkonen, on the other hand, analyses the behaviour of the car:

 

"There is certainly a lot of potential in this car and we will necessarily have to fully unlock it tonight. In the first few sessions we encountered some balancing issues, so there will be a lot of work to do. At the same time, we are also confident that everything can be resolved as early as tonight. There's a lot more grip than we expected and so we'll have to adapt to these conditions to see where we can get in qualifying".

 

Pierre Gasly didn't feel comfortable in this first day of practice. But as he himself said, it is hoped that within the qualifying tests everything can be resolved in the best possible way:

 

"Today I didn't feel entirely comfortable with the single-seater, even if we still achieved two good positions, which is positive. However, I believe that we can do even more in view of tomorrow. I wasn't too happy with the balance of the car and felt a bit of understeer, which we will have to work on. I think that the same problem has also occurred to other riders, so we just have to try to analyze to understand which aspects we can improve on, hoping to implement these improvements during FP3".

 

Yuki Tsunoda instead lingers to talk about the circuit, which he found challenging but also fun:

 

"I think it's a really nice circuit and I enjoyed my first two sessions here at Istanbul Park to the fullest. I gained confidence gradually, and I think we showed good pace this afternoon. It was very windy today, but still acceptable. More than anything, rain is expected tomorrow, which could make everything even more complicated. We'll just have to wait and see what happens and prepare for anything, but we're still happy with the car's performance so far, and I suppose we've shown a good improvement".

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George Russell did several jobs during the day, finding good sensations with regards to the race pace, and problems with regards to the fastest lap:

 

"Our pace with more fuel was good but with a low load it proved to be less competitive. We will have to analyze the data and details during tonight, so that we can find a solution for tomorrow. However, the rain that could fall tonight and tomorrow morning could reset everything before qualifying. We have to seize these opportunities and use them to our advantage, as we have done very well in the last few races. Sunday will be a complex race, given that no one has completed more than twelve consecutive laps with a single set of tyres".

 

A difficulty also encountered by his teammate, Nicholas Latifi:

 

"The track surface is different from what I expected especially after the assessment I made during the track walk: but I'm talking about it positively. The grip is much higher than last year, to such an extent that I feel it is higher than at other tracks. Now that there's grip, it's a lot of fun to drive here, on a very fast and flowing track. It's a very pleasant feeling that was far beyond my expectations. I'm still struggling to keep the tires in the right window, especially when running on low fuel, so there will still be a lot of work to do. In general the car isn't bad anyway. We just need to perfect some aspects in order to be able to do well tomorrow".

 

The two Haas drivers, Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, are both rookies at this demanding circuit. At the end of the tests, the Russian driver is enthusiastic about the layout of the track, and says:

 

"It was interesting to be able to ride on one of the few European circuits I've never raced on before, I didn't imagine what awaited me. The feedback I had received from fellow riders and from social media was that it was incredibly difficult to tackle. Even though it's my first time here, I can say that the grip conditions have improved. The layout is quite original. You have to immediately impose a very fast pace, which amused me. I think we can have a good race weekend".

 

And the German driver adds:

 

"There was actually an increase in grip and I also had a good feeling with the car. I think we were closer to the rest of the group than usual which is very promising. Tomorrow we will have a more precise idea of what we want and what we will need. This is a really nice circuit, very fast too. I had the opportunity to test in the simulator and I also adapted on the real track, so I'm happy to be able to drive here. I think soon I'll do the rain dance".

 

On Saturday 10 October 2021, the rain forced the riders to face FP3, at least in the first part, with wet tires which, after a few laps, were replaced by intermediate tires. In these particularly variable conditions, Pierre Gasly sets the already fastest lap, and positions himself in the standings ahead of the two Red Bull Racing drivers, Max Verstappen, author of a spin, and Sergio Pérez. The session is also characterized by the spins in which Charles Leclerc, Nicholas Latifi and George Russell are protagonists. The latter, ending up in the gravel, without the possibility of moving his single-seater, forced the race direction to interrupt the session briefly, with the explosion of the red flag. The Mercedes team limits itself to completing a few laps with both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, as the drivers consider the weather conditions not conclusive, in view of qualifying and the race. 

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Only one time was canceled due to exceeding the track limits at the exit of turn 1 and one time canceled due to exceeding the limits at the exit of turn 14, during the third free practice session on Saturday. In the first case the time of Antonio Giovinazzi is cancelled, in the second case that of Lance Stroll. At the start of the qualifying session, the track was almost dry, but the forecasts predict the return of the rain already during the first phase. All the drivers therefore decide to get out on the track as soon as possible, causing quite a lot of traffic along the track. The situation immediately becomes chaotic, given that the rain falls only on some sections of the Istanbul circuit. Carlos Sainz Jr. spins at the first corner, and Lewis Hamilton is also having difficulty keeping his car on track. The Briton still manages to take the lead in the timesheets, ahead of Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda and George Russell. Max Verstappen, who compromises his first attempt with an error, succeeds, with the second to place himself behind Lewis Hamilton. Subsequently, both Valtteri Bottas and Lando Norris manage to do better than Lewis Hamilton. The weather still allows a few minutes to try to score fast times, so Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly manage to improve the limit in Q1. With just a few minutes remaining at the end of the first phase of the qualifying session, both Lewis Hamilton, who is momentarily sixth, and Max Verstappen, who is in tenth position, are back on track. The Briton managed to set the fastest time again, finding himself, at the end of the first phase of the qualifying session, ahead of Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly. Do not pass to the next stage Daniel Ricciardo, Nicholas Latifi, Antonio Giovinazzi, Kimi Räikkönen and Nikita Mazepin. Surprisingly, thanks to a last very fast attempt, Mick Schumacher manages to pass into Q2. The threat of imminent rain also continued in Q2, but the riders, with a dry track, decided to use slick tyres. Almost all the drivers opt for the use of Medium tyres, a choice which will then affect the type of compound used at the start of the Turkish Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas sets the fastest time, followed by Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly. A mistake by Sergio Pérez prevents Max Verstappen, who follows him closely, from setting a good time, as does Lewis Hamilton, who also made a mistake, which does not allow him to go beyond the seventh fastest time. 

 

Subsequently, Lewis Hamilton manages to score the fastest time, followed by Max Verstappen. The British Mercedes driver complains about the difficulty of getting the tires up to temperature; this forces both the World Champion and Valtteri Bottas to carry out two warm-up laps before setting the fastest lap. Thanks to this intuition, the Finn also manages to set a good time, positioning himself in front of Max Verstappen. Subsequently Sergio Pérez sets the third fastest time while, with two minutes left in Q2, Esteban Ocon enters the top ten by pushing Charles Leclerc back. In the final minutes Fernando Alonso manages to score the third fastest time, but Pierre Gasly positions himself a few moments later in front of the Spanish driver in the provisional time classification. Lewis Hamilton, who makes the third attempt, confirmed his first position, with a 0.5 second margin over Valtteri Bottas. In the final part of Q2 Charles Leclerc manages to enter the top ten, while Max Verstappen sets the third fastest time. Sebastian Vettel, Esteban Ocon, George Russell, Mick Schumacher and Carlos Sainz Jr. did not qualify for the final phase who, due to the situation due to the penalty to be served at the end of practice, decided not to do any timed laps in Q2. In Q3 Lewis Hamilton immediately sets the best time, but his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, manages to complete a quicker lap. Max Verstappen sets a time just over 0.2 seconds faster than Lewis Hamilton's time, and places himself ahead of Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll. Subsequently Lewis Hamilton returns to the track, well before Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen do. The Briton sets a time of 1'22"868. An unattainable limit for the other drivers. Hamilton, however, penalized for having the engine replaced, will start only eleventh. Therefore, pole position is conquered by Valtteri Bottas. Thanks to a last Attempt Charles Leclerc manages to conquer the fourth position on the starting grid.It is the eighteenth pole position for the Finn in the Formula 1 World Championship.

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Two times canceled for having exceeded the limits exiting turn 14, during qualifying In the first case, the times of Kimi Räikkönen (three times), Nikita Mazepin, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. (two times), Antonio Giovinazzi, Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda, Nicholas Latifi, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, and Sergio Pérez (once), in the second case those of Charles Leclerc and George Russell. At the end of qualifying, Fernando Alonso was summoned by the stewards for failing to respect the double yellow flags in Q1. After listening to the pilot, the commissioners decide not to impose sanctions on the Spanish Alpine. Excellent third position for Charles Leclerc also helped by his teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., during Q2. Now for the Monegasque the goal is victory, which he thinks about even when he starts in lower positions:

 

"I was scared at the beginning. It was difficult to drive the car, I was sliding a lot. In the end in Q3 I managed to put everything together on the last lap and I think the choice of the average in Q2 is the right one for tomorrow as well. I'm happy, but we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I always hope, even when I start from fifteenth, to be on the top step of the podium and I will push for it tomorrow too. After that, I will certainly keep in mind that we won't be battling it out with the two in front for the championship: we'll be battling it out with McLaren and we need to score important points at the end of the race. The car has been very good since FP1. We struggled with the rain, but it wasn't bad anyway. In qualifying, especially at the end, I found the feeling I had on Friday. Now we both [also Sainz] have a slightly more powerful engine but, I repeat, we will see what happens tomorrow".

 

The Monegasque driver also talks about the set-up choices on his car, avoiding the rain:

 

"In Q1 and Q2 I struggled a lot as I opted for a lower downforce when defining the set-up for the weekend. It should be the right choice for the race and we hope it bears fruit tomorrow. With this configuration this afternoon, however, I was sliding a lot and I had to fight to be able to pass the sessions. I am satisfied with my lap and now I look forward to the race. If it's dry, I'm convinced we have good potential".

 

Lewis Hamilton will start in eleventh position, despite the British driver having scored the best performance. At the end of qualifying, the Mercedes driver reveals a background regarding the decision to mount new components of the power unit right here in Istanbul:

 

"Obviously there have been numerous discussions over the past two and a half weeks. I pushed to try and keep the third engine in the car and the team worked until Friday or Thursday night. And the decision was then made. We knew that at some point we would have to replace the power unit, but we had to have 100% confidence and understand whether to do it here or somewhere else. Austin was a good possibility, but I preferred to do it here. We will try and try to make sure we take a balanced risk. We'll have to try and try to minimize the damage, to get as high as possible. It's never easy to put back together. If we look at the last race for example, you can get stuck behind some cars that are not easy to pass. But we showed good pace this weekend, we didn't expect to have such a strong pace and I hope to be able to take advantage of it tomorrow. The key to the race - he concluded - will be to stay away from trouble and try to be aggressive right from the start. Will will show me the way".

 

Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, talks about the difficulties of managing the power unit, which is slowing down Lewis Hamilton's run-up to his potential eighth World Champion title. The hope, of course, is to be able to solve the problems for next year:

 

"When you keep pushing from a performance point of view, sooner or later you encounter limits, we have identified the problem and now it's a matter of containing it because it's not the time to redesign parts. For 2022 we won't have these problems because we have already focused them well in this championship".

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The Austrian manager also talks about the importance of the strategy to allow Lewis Hamilton to recover:

 

"I hope Lewis can do well. Yesterday, during his long run, we were behind a Haas and also a Williams. It was difficult to shorten the distances, and that is why a good strategy will be of great help to us. We have to focus on the positive aspects of the car and Valtteri will be able to start from pole. On the other hand, we missed the chance to get an entire front row. Lewis will have to get down to the middle of the grid, and it won't be easy with all the cars in front of him using medium tyres, with the exception of Tsunoda. Progress will not be easy. Valtteri wants to win the race and this is the best opportunity and we have to help Lewis. Red Bull hasn't been very competitive this weekend and, in long runs, it was worse than single lap".

 

Max Verstappen will start in second position, and it is therefore possible that he could aim for victory in the Turkish Grand Prix. However, the Dutch driver believes he doesn't have the same pace as the two Mercedes:

 

"I don't think I have the same pace as Mercedes, but obviously let's see what we can do in the race. The car has improved since yesterday when we were struggling to figure out how to be quick here. The team worked and I think qualifying went a little better, but of course the car wasn't perfect yet: I'd like to have more pace, so it will be difficult to keep Hamilton behind. I'm still quite happy with the final result and the lap. I don't think I can be disappointed with this second position, but it worries me that I have to start on the inside line and not on the racing line. There's no grip on my side, let's see how it goes".

 

Taking advantage of the penalty inflicted on his teammate, Valtteri Bottas will start in pole position. The Finnish driver is asked to win, to subtract as many points as possible from Max Verstappen:

 

"Good qualifying in difficult conditions, especially in Q1. Also in Q3 there was still a bit of wet in turn 1. A good lap even if in the last sector I lost something due to understeer. I enjoyed myself. The team result was what we wanted. Lewis has the minimum penalty, I'm on pole. We did what we wanted. Tomorrow? I will focus on my race. This is the only thing you have to do when starting from the front. I'll try to have a good pace".

 

Among the penalized drivers we also find Carlos Sainz Jr, who in this circumstance wanted to help his teammate get into Q3:

 

"The plan was to do Q1 to see if we took anyone out of Q2. It happened that we eliminated Ricciardo, who is our direct opponent. We managed to start a McLaren behind. But this was only the first part of the plan. The second was to be able to slipstream Charles in Q2 and we did it perfectly, we did it well. It was a shame not to be in the running for the best time today, especially considering our car's performance in the dry. It's hard to accept but looking at things in perspective, it is better to take penalties now and be able to count on a better power unit for the rest of the season. I would say we executed the plan perfectly today: we comfortably qualified for Q2 at a calculated risk, managing to eliminate a car which turned out to be a McLaren in the end. Then in the second stage I stayed in the garage and went out with perfect timing to help Charles with the slipstream in his attempt on the Medium tyres. In tomorrow's race, everything will depend on how the car behaves in traffica nd how we manage to move up the group without damaging the tires too much. The pace has been encouraging throughout the weekend and for this reason we are ready to fight to recover as much as possible. Let's get into it".

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Scuderia Ferrari sporting director, Laurent Mekies, analyzes the work done in qualifying and is confident he can get a good result in the race:

 

"A very intense and tight qualifying, with a result that confirms the good work done in preparing for this Grand Prix. Today it wasn't really easy to manage the many variables, starting with the one linked to the weather and the choices made in terms of aerodynamic load, especially on Charles. He was very good, keeping a cool head even when the situation could get complicated and then he put his paw right at the end with a beautiful lap. Carlos made himself available to the team with great team spirit, taking on an obscure job since yesterday which, we hope, will bear fruit, but even today he lent a hand when needed. We are well aware that points are awarded on Sunday afternoon and we are aware that it will be a very tough race for tire management. We will try to do our best, as always".

 

Pierre Gasly was the author of another excellent qualifying with the AlphaTauri. In fact, the French driver will start from fourth position:

 

"I don't know what the goal could be for tomorrow. I definitely want a normal race, but there could also be a lot of rain, let's see. The last few Grands Prix have been very difficult for us, but we have also learned a lot. We are ready for any kind of situation. The most important thing is that the car gave good sensations. It seemed alive today and I have a lot of confidence going into the race. We hope to have fun with Charles and those close to us".

 

The same can be said for Yuki Tsunoda, who managed to get into Q3. However, the Japan driver had several expectations:

 

"I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed with my qualifying performance, I really believe that with the pace of the car I could have been even higher. The team did a fantastic job, but unfortunately I couldn't get it all together in Q3. I will start the race on the Softs for a different strategy to most of the people around me, so I will need to prepare well and take every opportunity in front of me. In any case, it's positive to qualify in the top ten, the main goal for me this weekend is to bring home some points".

 

Fernando Alonso managed to get his Alpine into Q3 and qualify in sixth position (but he will start from fifth position). The Spanish rider is satisfied with the work done, but now he will have to be careful of the riders who will try to pass him in the race:

 

"We have very strong cars behind us, especially in terms of race pace, even if sometimes we are as competitive as they are over the flying lap. McLaren has super Sundays, especially with Norris. Then there are the Red Bulls of Perez and Hamilton who will arrive sooner or later... it will be a race that will require us to look in the mirrors a lot".

 

On the other hand, disappointment for Esteban Ocon who is unable to enter Q3 and qualifies twelfth:

 

"It's disappointing not to be in the top ten because we probably had the right pace to be there. Unfortunately I had to abort my last lap in Q2 due to traffic: I would have been close to reaching Q3, but sometimes this can happen. We are battling some set-up issues right now, hoping to fix them soon with our work. We will continue to work as a team to progress and move forward. Now our attention is entirely focused on the race: the goal is to try and get some points".

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Sergio Perez is without a doubt the one who enters by right among the disappointed drivers, who failed to go beyond the seventh time in qualifying. The Mexican helot is called upon to perform a feat in the race:

 

"We compromised our qualifying a bit because of the tires we opted for. Let's hope they can bring points tomorrow, even if, for now, we have paid the price. We had used tires first, then with the new ones we didn't recover anything because we lacked grip, as well as experiencing a lot of understeer. In any case, we can be up to the challenge tomorrow, when we have a good strategy and also a good pace. We will be able to keep Hamilton behind, he was also very fast on Friday, but we hope to be able to stay ahead of him".

 

In Russia the battle between Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton characterized the race. In Istanbul, the British McLaren driver is not sure he can repeat what he did in Sochi, where he managed to keep the Mercedes driver behind him:

 

"Hamilton behind me? Probably not for long though, he'll pass me after a couple of laps. I'm just realistic. I'm not a dreamer. Today was a difficult day, we weren't fast enough. There isn't much to say. I thought yesterday we had more pace to exploit, instead we made some changes during the night to improve the pace of the car even more, but the others had better pace. We figured out that the softs, the way they need to drive, just don't fit our car. It goes medium with the medium and with the hard ones. We have to avoid the soft tomorrow".

 

Daniel Ricciardo's performance in qualifying is undoubtedly more disappointing, as he will start only fifteenth:

 

"We got the timing just a little wrong, but apart from that I struggled a lot with the Soft in some parts of the track when the grip was increasing. We also made some changes, but we simply weren't competitive with this tyre".

 

Although George Russell has once again managed to bring his Williams to Q2, the British driver recriminates for a series of mistakes that could have taken him to Q3:

 

"There were too many mistakes on my part today. At the end of Q2, I was doing a great lap which would have been enough to qualify for Q3. Unfortunately I made a mistake in the last corner and lost a lot of time. It's a big shame because the ride up to that point was incredible. I'm really trying to push to the limit right now, but I went too far today. So it wasn't a very good performance on my part. The conditions weren't easy, but they were the same for everyone: I expect more from myself. It will be an interesting race tomorrow, because with a 'green' track, nobody knows for sure what the right strategy will be and how the tires will behave. Unfortunately, now it will be much more difficult for us, as we start from thirteenth place instead of in the top-ten, and it's a bit frustrating".

 

Things are no better for his teammate, Nicholas Latifi, who misses the pass in Q2:

 

"The car was decent and the track conditions were quite changeable, with the rain coming on and off. So we had to be on the track at the right time and do the lap when possible. Every time I crossed the finish line, I consistently put myself in the top 15. But in the last two attempts, when the track had never been so dry, I didn't succeed. It's very frustrating because the performances have been good enough to advance to Q2 in the last few races".

 

Sebastian Vettel was unable to get into Q3, but due to Lewis Hamilton's penalty he will still start in tenth potion:

 

"Today the conditions kept getting better and better despite most of the circuit being dry, however there were some wet spots where I struggled. It wasn't easy to find the rhythm, and I lost the fastest lap just passing those wet areas, especially in turn one. At that point, it was difficult to make up for lost time after the mistake. I think the car has more pace and therefore I'm not happy with eleventh position, even if starting tenth could give us good opportunities to fight for the points zone".

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Lance Stroll, who took pole position in Istanbul in 2020 by exploiting the variable weather conditions in his favour, this time he will be forced to start from eighth position:

 

"After Friday's free practice we made some changes during the night, and I think they showed today. Overall I can be satisfied, and it was a great job. I had a small spin on my final lap in Q2, but luckily the previous time was enough to get me into Q3. Tomorrow we will start eighth on the medium tyres, which should put us in a good position for the first stint. There are some cars that are not in their usual starting area due to weather conditions and penalties. We will have to capitalize on these opportunities, fighting to the end and continuing to push lap after lap. Only by doing so will we see where it takes us".

 

It was a masterpiece qualifying for Mick Schumacher, who managed to enter Q2 with his Haas and qualify in fourteenth position. Now the goal is to be able to conquer a position in the top ten:

 

"Clearly this is a good opportunity for us, maybe even to score points, but we'll need a little luck without a doubt. If we have any, if there is a bit of chaos, if we can make some progress in the race, maybe even with some rain, we could have a real chance. I also enjoyed riding in these complex conditions and I think the team was good at making the right decisions at the right time. We analyzed the situation correctly according to our method and found the right set-up on an asphalt that didn't guarantee much grip. The weekend has gone well since FP1, so I'm happy".

 

Still negative, however, the performance of Nikita Mazepin:

 

"As soon as I came out of the pits, I realized that the grip was good enough on most of the track for the slick tyres, but the first corner took me by surprise. I stopped to change the tyres, but from then on I didn't know where and how to push at that point. In these conditions I was caught off guard, plus we expected the rain to come and it didn't. I needed to put together a clean lap and I did, but it wasn't good enough".

 

But even more disappointing was the qualifying of the Alfa Romeo drivers, with Kimi Raikkonen qualifying in penultimate position.

 

"This morning we did quite well in the rain and it was really a shame we didn't get through Q1. We tried to do our best, but we just couldn't get the laps together. When we finally achieved optimal grip at the end of the session, we got stuck behind another car, and that was the end of it. There were a bunch of little things wrong today, and now we just have to focus on tomorrow. We hope to encounter slightly variable weather conditions, so that we can take advantage of the confusion to recover positions".

 

And even Antonio Giovonazzi was unable to exploit the potential of his car:

 

"We looked fit for qualifying, but we didn't put everything together when we had to. The conditions were tough, with some parts of the track being wetter than others. In the end it went the way it did, and we have to work to be able to improve tomorrow, so that we can have a good race. We are only on Saturday, we will race tomorrow and give our best. Our race pace wasn't bad. If we were able to complete a good first lap, at that point we would call everything into question".

 

But the Alfa Romeo team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, doesn't let himself be discouraged and doesn't lose hope of being able to do a good race:

 

"We're obviously disappointed not to have realized the good sensations that emerged from the promising free practice sessions with a satisfactory result in qualifying. We appeared strong in the rain, while we weren't able to put together the set laps this afternoon. We need to get back on track to recover our potential that we had at the start of this weekend before tomorrow. It will be a long race and the forecasts are still uncertain, so we could have the opportunity to have a good chance to bring home a good result".

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Sunday 10 October 2021, before the race, the fourth unit relating to the internal combustion engine, the turbocharger and the MGU-H was installed on Daniel Ricciardo's car; the Australian driver is therefore forced to start from the back of the grid. The track is damp and there is light rain at times. All cars are fitted with intermediate wet tyres. At the start of the Turkish Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas is able to maintain the lead of the race, and is followed by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Further back there is contact between Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly; The Spaniard spun and finished far from the top positions, then colliding with Mick Schumacher's Haas, while he was engaged in a comeback attempt. While the Finn maintains a good margin over the first pursuers, Lewis Hamilton begins his comeback from the last position: the Briton passes Yuki Tsunoda, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris, between the eighth and tenth laps, placing himself in sixth position. Carlos Sainz Jr. also recovers several positions: the Spaniard, who started from the back row, is already on the edge of the points zone after a few laps. During lap 14, Lewis Hamilton also overtook Pierre Gasly, who still has to serve the five-second penalty imposed on him for contact with Fernando Alonso at the start. Daniel Ricciardo was the first driver to change tires on lap 21. The Australian continued his race on intermediate tyres. Lewis Hamilton also tries to pass Sergio Pérez, but the Mexican resists the attacks of the World Champion. The classification, at least in the leading positions, remains unchanged for several laps. During lap 36 Max Verstappen stops in the pits to change tyres. Carlos Sainz Jr. - during lap 37 - and Pérez and Bottas - during lap 38 - also returned to the pits to change tyres. All the drivers decide to continue with the intermediate tyres, except Sebastian Vettel, who is on Medium tyres. This choice, however, does not give the desired results. The German returns to the pits and puts on intermediate tyres. 

 

In this phase of the race Charles Leclerc climbs into first position, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman gave the position, during the 40th lap, to Sergio Pérez. During lap 46 Charles Leclerc, with very worn tyres, makes a couple of mistakes and is passed by Valtteri Bottas. Shortly after, the Monegasque Ferrari driver was forced to hand over second place to Max Verstappen, before returning to the pits to put on intermediate tyres. Charles Leclerc climbs to fourth position, but subsequently loses a further position to Sergio Pérez who, despite having more worn tires, has a better pace than the Monegasque driver. Lewis Hamilton continues, now third, who hopes to eventually be able to return to the pits to switch to the use of dry tires, recovering as many positions as possible. But hope is in vain. The British Mercedes driver was forced to pit during lap 50 to put on intermediate tyres. Lewis Hamilton returns to the track behind Charles Leclerc, but must be careful not to be passed by Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris, who are following him. Once the 58 scheduled laps were completed, Valtteri Bottas won the Turkish Grand Prix and conquered his tenth success in his career, followed by the two Red Bull Racings of Max Verstappen - who thanks to his second place returns to the top of the championship standings - and Sergio Perez. Esteban Ocon completes the Turkish Grand Prix, for the first time in the turbo-hybrid era, without pitting to change tyres. The last episode was 24 years ago, with Mika Salo completing the 1997 Monaco Grand Prix without refueling or changing tyres. For the twelfth time in the history of the top category, for the eighth time in the turbo-hybrid era, which began in the 2014 season, and for the third time in this championship, after the French Grand Prix and the Belgian Grand Prix, withdrawals have occurred. Charles Leclerc is fourth, followed by Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon. Seen from the TV screens, Valtteri Bottas' race looked pretty straightforward. However, the Finnish helot is keen to underline that he actually managed to make an imperceptible mistake during the race:

 

"All perfect? Almost. I just made a small mistake in Turn 1, I don't remember which lap. I wasted some time there. It is without a doubt one of my best races, the car worked like a charm in all conditions this weekend. This makes life so much easier, I'm happy with what I've done. The hardest thing to manage were the tyres. We didn't need to overheat them, the intermediates are very sensitive and start to break after a few laps. The most important thing was the control of the race. Even in terms of strategy everything was perfect, we stopped at the right time. I really missed the thrill of victory. It had been missing for more than a year and it is really very beautiful".

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Lewis Hamilton would have had to perform a miracle to be able to steal the victory from his teammate. The British pilot tried to take advantage of any changes in the weather conditions. But the conditions didn't change and the Mercedes driver had to settle for fifth place:

 

"The comeback was very difficult, the track was very slow to dry and I didn't expect that. I think it was difficult for everyone. At the start and in the first phase of the race I looked very strong, but then it didn't end as well. It was difficult to manage the tire temperature, the level of grip, the graining. Strategy-wise, I don't know what the team thought, but I need to talk to them about why they brought me back. But that's the end of it now. Whether my idea was right or wrong doesn't change much: we'll get together and I'll talk to the team, also because I think we've lost some points that we could have gotten. We will try to react from the next race. I wouldn't say I'm satisfied with the result, but I'm happy to have finished the race".

 

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff thinks otherwise:

 

"I'm convinced of the choice we made, we had two options: the first was to adopt a conservative strategy and change the tires like everyone else. He would have come out fifth and would have played it on the track with Perez and Leclerc. The other option was to stay out. If the track had dried we could have gone on slicks. The third option was to just stay out, but at a certain point we would lose a clear second and risk other positions. Nonetheless, we are relieved. The car was very fast, as evidenced by the front row in qualifying. Valtteri made no mistake, he started in front and was the fastest. The tires felt good and I liked the performance of the car. If we had decided on slicks there would have been the risk of losing a minute and not even finishing in the points. What we did was right".

 

The Austrian manager also expresses a thought regarding his opponents:

 

"I like Ferrari to go much faster than before, it's a fast car, I hope next year there are more than two teams that can win. To win the title, reliability is the most important aspect. If you withdraw and the other player wins, there is a 25 point difference. You have to do the best you can every day, every weekend. This is the formula for winning. This is certainly the most complicated championship. Today we are six points behind Verstappen. If this continues, it could be that whoever wins in Abu Dhabi will also win the title. I like this fight with Red Bull, every weekend is important, but I still manage to sleep very well. Let's remember that this is only sport, and Formula 1 in particular. There are always question marks about reliability, we just hope to be able to arrive calmly until the end of the season like this, but I'm not sure".

 

The analysis of the technical director of Mercedes, James Allison, confirms the feelings expressed by the team principal:

 

"As always, it's obvious to know what would have been the perfect lap to stop in the pits once the race was over, but overall the best time to pit would have been around lap 36 or 37, which is when Valtteri and Verstappen pitted. Had Lewis done the same and then managed his tires properly, then he would have likely finished fourth, perhaps able to put pressure on Perez for third or even pass him. But we didn't, staying out longer hoping the track would dry out and the tires would last. We would have gotten third place easier, outclassing those who had already made a pit stop. When we realized we should have made that stop it was lap 41, but we pushed a little longer, for nine laps, with the tires degrading in the meantime. When we finally called Lewis it was because the lap time graph, which we use to make our predictions, indicated that he would not finish the race. In that case he would have reasonably obtained a seventh or eighth place. So, in all likelihood, we would have reached the end of the race with one set of tires without too much difficulty. Ocon did, for example, and our car usually handles the tires better than many of our competitors. So yes, we would have reached the end of the race, but we would have been very slow. The tire used rubber throughout the race and towards the end, when the track was almost dry, the wear was even more severe. Lewis' lap times were starting to get worse lap by lap. And even if he had made it to the end of the race, the pace would have been pretty bleak".

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Andrew Shovlin, trackside engineering director of the Brackley team, adds his opinion regarding the strategy implemented with Lewis Hamilton:

 

"We decided to leave Lewis out for a chance to go all the way or switch to dry tyres. But it became clear to us that the time was never right for slicks. Our strategy tools showed that we would still be beaten by Perez and Leclerc if we stayed out, so we chose a new set of intermediates to minimize our losses".

 

And regarding Valtteri Bottas' race, the English engineer comments:

 

"Valtteri drove superbly in the wet today, he had the race under control from start to finish. His fastest lap at the end shows how much he had 'in reserve'. The only difficult point of his race was handing over the lead to Charles to cover Max's pit stop, but the first position returned to his hands quite quickly".

 

Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, confirms that Lewis Hamilton could never have completed the race on the same tyres, as Esteban Ocon did:

 

"Judging the condition of the tires after the race, I think Lewis wouldn't have reached the finish line, or at least he would have really reached the limit. Had he continued, the rubber coating would have boiled down to just the carcass, particularly towards the conclusion. It would have been really dangerous to push under these circumstances, but I can understand that riders want to maximize the result when they are involved and focused during the race. Each car is different and consequently the level of the coating is also different. It all also depends on how hard a driver pushes on the track, but overall all the cars had extreme wear conditions. Most of the pit stops on lap 47 or 48 had virtually no tyres. We knew that with the new improvements, the asphalt would be more abrasive and would lead to greater grip compared to last year. The track was completely dry, but it was still abrasive, and it was really at the limit. I would suggest to our engineers to underline to the teams the need to change tires during the race, and to avoid continuing until the end. It is too dangerous".

 

Max Verstappen managed to finish the race in second position, thus returning to the lead of the World Drivers' Championship standings:

 

"At the beginning, I tried to stay close to Valtteri but at that point we also had to manage the tyres. It was there that I slightly slowed down my pace, later pushing again also taking advantage of the progressive drying out of the track. In any case, there was no point where I could attack it. Among other things, he was able to manage his tires very well, and I also had to pay attention to Leclerc's return in the first stint. He too had great pace, and at one point I felt the tires were in good condition, to such an extent that I even felt ready to switch to slicks, but it was a critical decision. However, with the track conditions, we chose to stop with 20 laps to go to bring home the result. We didn't have the pace to battle with Valtteri, there was no need to gain two or three hundredths of a second to try to follow him".

 

The Dutch driver repeatedly complained over the radio about a problem he encountered when downshifting the gears. When asked about this matter, and if this problem could have slowed him down, the Red Bull Racing driver replies:

 

"No, he wasn't related to this aspect, a word appeared next to the number of the gear engaged that didn't disappear. At that point I had to change a rotary, and in the end it went well. However, it didn't impact performance. The steering wheel tended to lean down to the left, and the tires wore out because of this irregularity, but that's something I felt from the start. Also in this case there was no impact on performance, but it's better to say it than to keep quiet".

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Max Verstappen also analyzes the fight that saw him involved with Valtteri Bottas from the first to the last lap of the Turkish Grand Prix:

 

"At the beginning I tried to stay close to Valtteri but at that point we also had to manage the tyres. It was there that I slightly slowed down my pace, later pushing again also taking advantage of the progressive drying out of the track. In any case, there was no point where I could attack it. Among other things, he was able to manage his tires very well, and I also had to pay attention to Leclerc's return in the first stint. He too had great pace, and at one point I felt the tires were in good condition, to such an extent that I even felt ready to switch to slicks, but it was a critical decision. However, with the track conditions, we chose to stop with 20 laps to go to bring home the result. We didn't have the pace to battle with Valtteri, there was no need to gain two or three hundredths of a second to try to follow him".

 

Sergio Perez played a key role in defending the second position achieved by Max Verstappen at the end of the Turkish Grand Prix:

 

"I found myself against Lewis in the worst moment of my race, I had lost a lot of ground and I had to defend myself. At that juncture Hamilton was one of the fastest on the track, while my tires were at the end of their life. At that point it was just a matter of 'survival', and I had to concentrate fully to keep up with him, because I knew it would be important for our race".

 

Immediately afterwards, the Mexican rider jokingly turns to his teammate, saying:

 

"You owe me some Tequila".

 

Speaking about the strategy applied by the Mercedes team towards Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says:

 

"It was clear that he should have stopped, it was enough to look at Leclerc's tires to understand that the race could not be finished with those tyres. It was crucial for us to stop Perez at the right moment, we could have left him on track to battle with Hamilton, but stopping in the pits was the right choice. I'm not at their pit wall, so I can't say exactly what happened, but it seems to me that Hamilton jumped the pit wall in terms of pit stop management, when it looked like he was going to try to get through without a pit stop to the finish. thought it would be very dangerous. [Perez] He fought like a lion just like Verstappen does. Hamilton almost pushed Perez into the pit lane, he was very good at not giving up in the drag race between the last and the first corner".

 

In Istanbul, Esteban Ocon He finished the race without ever pitting. Charles Leclerc also attempted to carry out the same strategy, but with very different results:

 

"We tried to go to the end without stopping. The intermediates were strange: when everyone put on the new ones, we were faster than them in the first 6-7 laps. We said to ourselves that maybe there wasn't much to gain from stopping, but after another six or seven laps you go beyond the graining and there the performance returns with the new intermediate. At that moment we stopped because we were losing too much, but it was already too late. In the end I struggled a lot because I was in that area where there was a lot of graining. When I went out I felt that the rear grip was very low. Then I also had graining in front and this rebalanced the car, but it was late and already 5-6 seconds behind Perez. We certainly had a nice car today, especially in the first stint. The second stint is difficult to judge because the tires weren't in the right place. Positive weekend in general, but obviously I'm a bit disappointed with the end. The disappointment for the missed podium is there, in such a difficult season, with so many missed opportunities and a bit of bad luck, it would have done me good to get on the podium. Fighting for victory was a risk. I knew too that I risked losing third place but when I have a chance to win I always try to take advantage of it. At that point I was only thinking about winning. It didn't happen, but we had a lot of adrenaline".

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On the other hand, the comeback by Carlos Sainz Jr. was excellent, as he finished the race in eighth position after starting from the back of the grid, and having been the author of an extraordinary comeback. 

 

"Many nice overtakings, it's true. I had to do them one by one, because the start wasn't great. I was still 19th after the first corner and I had to push hard. At one point I was passing a rider every lap and was having a blast. After that the track dried a bit and it was more difficult. I had to manage the rubber and the dirty air, it was difficult to get off the trajectory. But we showed good pace at the end, I was very fast in the last 10 laps and we were able to make up what we had lost at the pit stop. It's possible that the layover cost me my position on Norris. I ended up three seconds behind him, yet I had to do 10 laps behind Ocon as I couldn't pass him. However, today is not a day for us to complain. The new engine gives us something extra and shows that we are working, that we are not stopping. We brought an update with seven races to go, when everyone is already thinking about next year, we continue to look for something in the engine and in development. We don't want to finish fourth and eighth, we want to win. Today was a great emotion because it was the first truly attacking race in Ferrari, I enjoyed it. I want more of that".

 

Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admits he was thinking about winning this Turkish Grand Prix. But the final result was very different from what we had hoped:

 

"We believed in the victory, we tried. The feeling is one of bitterness. We were brave. We were quietly third. We risked losing third position for fourth, which happened later, but it could have been a great opportunity. Just to have tried, then it went like this. Charles rejoined ahead of Perez. Then in the first laps everyone suffered from graining and we paid for this factor. The power unit is giving us an edge right now. It is useful not only in qualifying, but also in the race for overtaking. We know that we can now count on this power unit until the end of the season with both riders without penalties, knocking on wood".

 

Regarding the performance of the new power unit and next year's car, Mattia Binotto says:

 

"Performance on the track complied with the findings recorded in the bench tests, the thermal part of the engine will also be very different compared to the past and will have to bring us back to being competitive especially in view of the freezing of the power units. The design of the chassis, suspension, gearbox is defined, we are working on the external shapes (aerodynamics, spoilers, bodywork) but also on the power unit which will be completely new next year".

 

The sporting director of the Scuderia Ferrari, Laurent Mekies, does not give up, and indeed shows confidence as regards the future:

 

"As a pure performance it was a good weekend, perhaps not the best of the year because we were at a good level in Monte Carlo too. We were close to the fastest cars on a traditional track. It's important for us to bring these points home and close the gap to third place, it's been a solid performance for the whole team. It was important to take risks and have the courage to try and win. We tried, it seemed like it could work, but when Bottas overtook us we preferred to secure fourth place. Leclerc and Sainz had a fantastic weekend, their integration and their desire to be part of this team is an advantage. Sainz kept his spirits up with incredible pace and gave us a hand. The team is growing above all thanks to our riders, who are the heart of the project".

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It was a difficult race for Fernando Alonso. After a contact with Pierre Gasly at the start, which also led Mick Schumacher to make an error, the Spaniard was given a five-second penalty which did not allow him to finish the race in the top ten:

 

"Today the conditions were really difficult and the track was also slippery, unfortunately there were two collisions which ruined our race. At the entrance to the corner, Gasly found himself sandwiched and rear-ended me. I want to apologize to Schumacher for hitting him in turn 4. I was approaching the pass but it was difficult to see all the cars around you in the wet conditions. We were unlucky and it was a shame we didn't capitalize on our excellent starting position. In any case, as a team we still secured points that will come in handy for Austin, where we hope to have better luck".

 

A feat that, however, was succeeded by Esteban Ocon. The French pilot conquered the tenth potion without ever making a pit stop to change tyres:

 

"Getting a point today was a sweet finish after a busy weekend and a very long race. It was good to take a risk today by finishing the race on just one set of tyres, which you don't see very often. It was also nice to give the guys a break from pit stops for the afternoon! I remember that last year too it would have been possible here; it was tough, but in the end we had a reward. I also enjoyed the battles on the track, we managed to flex our way through it, and it was fun. One point is a good result today and we hope to be able to continue like this in the next races".

 

Compared to what happened in qualifying, Kimi Raikkonen was the author of a good race. However, the Finnish driver was unable to get a top ten placement, useful for scoring points:

 

"It was a good race but in the end we didn't get anything out of it. The conditions were good and remained constant throughout the race, so much so that we also had a good pace. However, it was still difficult to overtake until the end, also due to tire wear. We got close to the points, we would have needed a few more laps to make it".

 

Even Antonio Giovinazzi, finishing in eleventh potion, was unable to redeem Saturday's bad qualifying:

 

"One lap was enough for us to score points and it's frustrating. The race wasn't bad, despite starting from the back for yesterday's qualifying, which made everything more complicated. We gave our best, but unfortunately it wasn't enough. In the last rounds we had a good pace and now we have to focus on Austin to get back in the points from the next race".

 

The disappointment for Antonio Giovinazzi materialized precisely in the most decisive moment, during the last lap. With just under a second behind the Alpine of Esteban Ocon, tenth and in total crisis with the tires never replaced since the start of the race, the Italian driver went into battery charging mode during the final lap of the Grand Prix , preparing to overtake the Frenchman on the following lap. Fully focused on his goal, Giovinazzi didn't notice that he was already on the last lap, and the team didn't warn him. Also for this reason, the Alfa Romeo team principal, Frederic Vesseur, acquits his drivers:

 

"The conditions weren't easy but we started well and with the aim of reaching the points zone. Both Giovinazzi and Raikkonen always remained attentive and proved to be among the fastest on the track. Too bad I didn't have the time to overtake Ocon in the finale. Finishing eleventh and twelfth is always a frustration, especially if you come close to the top ten for the second consecutive time. But it will be an encouragement to be able to make the definitive leap to Austin".

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Lando Norris closes the race in seventh position. Despite the top ten placement, the British driver is certainly not enthusiastic:

 

"Today was a tough and long race mainly due to the conditions. It was difficult to keep the intermediates in a good window of use, but I think we still managed to get the maximum, so I must be happy for seventh position. We've limited the damage on this runway. I'm satisfied, but we need to perfect several aspects in view of the next race. It's important to recover to be able to push to the max".

 

Daniel Ricciardo, thirteenth at the finish line after starting from the back of the grid, at the end of the race analyzes what happened, saying that throughout the afternoon he never had the pace to be able to hope to get back into the top ten:

 

"I think we only did four laps with a good pace, but the rest of the race was difficult. At the beginning we struggled a lot with the front, so it was really difficult to stay close to the others, and at that point we stopped to change tires. Once back on the track, I didn't feel the rear that I did feel at the start of the race, even if the difficulty subsided later on. There were maybe four laps in that stint where I felt like I could push hard, and that's what I tried to do. I thought the situation would get better and better, and instead the rear wheels are having problems again. As a result, the last ten laps were a bit tough, I was just trying to hold on. When I saw my tires I knew they had reached their limit. Unfortunately it wasn't a good performance from us but we'll try to figure out what went wrong".

 

The Turkish Grand Prix does not end well for the Haas team. After an unexpected fourteenth place in qualifying, expectations for the race were very high. However, a contact at the start of the race prevented Mick Schumacher from capitalizing on the good things he had done on Saturday. Despite this, the Haas team principal looks on the bright side of the matter and says that the team is ready to get some points: 

 

"We are ready for next year. We are fine, yes, we will also make mistakes, but in that case there was a possibility and we took it, they worked as if they had been together for three or five years. Mick was very calm and his race engineer did a great job, always staying calm. All of this happened while we had Ayao [Komatsu] working as Nikita's replacement race engineer, so there wasn't a chief engineer. Everyone did a good job, everyone did what they had to do. This is what made me happy because now we are ready. If we have a better car, the team is ready to score some points".

 

The results of the Turkish Grand Prix put Max Verstappen back at the top of the standings in the World Drivers' Championship. The Dutchman climbs to 262.5 points, against 256.5 for Lewis Hamilton, who in Istanbul had to settle for finishing the race in fifth position, after starting in eleventh position, due to the penalty following the replacement of the Mercedes power unit on his car . The victory in Turkey allows Valtteri Bottas to climb to 177 points, consolidating his third place in the standings, ahead of Lando Norris (145) and Sergio Perez (135). As for the Constructors' World Championship, Mercedes remains in the lead with 433.5 points, against 397.5 for the Red Bull Racing team. In the challenge for third place, Scuderia Ferrari - with 232.5 points - is close to the McLaren team, with 240 points. There are still six races to go until the end of this season, which despite having been conditioned by the COVID-19 pandemic is giving the public numerous captivating stories and a World Championship open to any type of final. The fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton for the conquest of the world championship helmet is undoubtedly the main theme that characterizes the public's attention, but also the constant struggles between the two Red Bull Racing and Mercedes teams, even with reports to the FIA as for the technical clarifications, it is characterizing attention. The next Grand Prix will be held in the United States, in Texas, on Sunday 24 October 2021. The challenge, therefore, will continue on a circuit that could once again favour the Red Bull Racing team. But watch out for surprises, which have never been lacking in this Championship.


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