Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liveupdated1633875253

Turkish Grand Prix LIVE: F1 result as Valtteri Bottas beats Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to victory

Follow all the fallout live from Istanbul, where Bottas claimed the win as Verstappen went six points clear of Hamilton in the title race

Dan Austin
Sunday 10 October 2021 15:14 BST
Comments
Ferrari Tried To Sign Lewis Hamilton

Follow all the fallout from the Turkish Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen resumed their razor-tight race for the world championship but were upstaged by the victorious Valtteri Bottas.

An increasingly acrimonious rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen saw the Briton lead the standings by just two points heading into today’s race, but Verstappen leaves Istanbul Park with a six-point lead over the defending champion. Hamilton was handed a 10-place grid penalty this week after Mercedes replaced his Internal Combustion Engine for a third time this season, one more change than is permitted under Formula One regulations. It meant that Hamilton started from 11th on the grid, having been the quickest in qualifying.

He finished fifth as Mercedes teammate Bottas – who had inherited pole position, having finished 0.13 seconds behind the Briton in qualifying – crossed the line first. Red Bull’s Verstappen, meanwhile, started second on the grid and finished in the same place as teammate Sergio Perez rounded out the podium places.

Follow all the fallout from the grand prix below, and read a full race report by clicking here.

1633866233

Alpine boss says team will take “traditional” Alonso approach

Alpine team principal Marcin Budkowski has been telling Sky Sports about his team’s differing strategies with their two cars in Turkey.

“Honestly, you can’t make predictions in such a race,” the Pole said. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to dry, so it’s going to be a difficult call. Fernando [Alonso] drove very well yesterday, he’s a clever guy and so opportunities are there.

“Starting fifth is a good position for us. Chances are we’ll be more traditional with Fernando in fifth, and take more risks with Esteban [Ocon] starting P12.”

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:43
1633865981

Horner gives cheeky response about Gasly blocking Hamilton

Christian Horner has been talking to Sky Sports about how the damp track can bring the field closer together.

“It’s really interesting conditions, it’s going to be down to the drivers and getting the calls right on the pitwall,” the Red Bull team principal said. “The rain is a great equaliser. It’s equally wet across both sides of the grid, so I’m hoping it’s pretty even.

Asked whether he had spoken to sister team Alpha Tauri to tell them have Pierre Gasly block Lewis Hamilton on his way through, Horner coyly responded: “Of course we would never say anything like that! We have to focus on our race, and I’m sure Valtteri has a focus as well. Lewis is going to be a big factor in this race, so we just have to get on with and enjoy it.”

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:39
1633865572

Bottas full of confidence in Mercedes car

Valtteri Bottas has been talking up his chances of winning the race, and his belief comes from the consistency he has felt in his Mercedes machinery.

“It’s a good chance for the win,” he told Sky Sports. “It seems like every race now it’s raining. What gives me confidence is the car has been feeling good in any condition this weekend.”

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:32
1633865478

Three drivers could influence title fight hugely

Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso all put in superb performances in qualifying and will start the race third, fourth and fifth respectively.

That puts them directly behind Max Verstappen, first of all, but also means they will be blocking Lewis Hamilton if the Briton is able to make his way towards the front from eleventh.

All three will be running their own races and aiming for the podium, but battling with either title contender could have enormous ramifications for which driver ultimately takes the crown.

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:31
1633865249

Tyre strategy will be vital

The sky at Istanbul Park is covered in an intensely thick level of dark grey cloud which suggests we won’t be seeing the sunshine at any point during this race.

That means that the surface of the circuit will struggle to dry out quickly and it could mean a late switch to dry tyres is necessary.

If that is the case, timing will be crucial and the drivers who can read the changing conditions best will be the ones who make a success of their race.

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:27
1633865052

Drivers head to the grid on intermediate tyres

The pitlane is open and drivers are tip-toeing their way around the circuit as they line up in grid order.

All cars are currently on intermediate tyres and the spray kicked up by Max Verstappen’s Red Bull is a sure-fire indication that there is no chance of starting on dry tyres.

Valtteri Bottas has a couple of twitchy moments on his tour around the track, and the start is going to be immensely difficult for all 20 cars here.

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:24
1633864917

Ricciardo and Sainz out of position

It’s not only Hamilton who will be looking to make significant gains right from the start.

Daniel Ricciardo was knocked out in Q1 on Saturday after timing his final run badly and has taken an engine penalty accordingly, meaning he will start from the very back of the pack, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also starts from the rear of the grid after taking a full engine change ahead of this Grand Prix.

Both drivers will still be aiming to reach the top ten in order to score points, but overtaking the slower cars in treacherous conditions could prove very tricky indeed.

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:21
1633864742

Damp track could cause havoc at turn 1

The Istanbul Park circuit is currently damp after consistent showers throughout the morning, and we saw how the changeable conditions caused significant problems for all drivers in yesterday afternoon’s session.

We already have a shaken up grid order, here, and a moist track could catch plenty of cars out into the heavy braking zone of turn 1.

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:19
1633864351

Bottas not in the mood to help Hamilton

Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas starts on pole, meanwhile, and is concentrating on his own race rather than assisting his colleague’s title fight.

The Finn told Sky Sports after qualifying: “Not easy conditions. Q1 was a bit on the edge with the damp. The last lap I missed a bit in the final sector with understeer. I’m on pole, and that should be good. I’ll focus on my own race tomorrow. I think that’s the way to go.”

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:12
1633864154

Hamilton going "maximum attack”

Speaking in his post-qualifying interview yesterday afternoon, Hamilton talked through his battle plan to try and make it to the podium in Turkey.

“My eyes are still solely set on winning the race,” he said. “It’s going to be hard from P11 but I’m staying on my toes and going maximum attack from the start.

“I’m just going to take it one step at a time tomorrow. It’s a long race, I have to stay out of trouble. That will be my priority initially, and then try to pick them off one by one.”

Dan Austin10 October 2021 12:09

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in