Turkish GP: Hamilton wins record-equalling 7th world title  
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has conquered his seventh Formula 1 world title after winning the Turkish Grand Prix this Sunday at the Istanbul Circuit. The Briton has drawn up level with Michael Schumacher‘s as the most successful F1 driver in history, with a masterclass on the wet worthy of the Red Baron himself.  

After the #44 came a sensational Checo Perez (Racing Point) who takes his ninth F1 podium and first since Baku 2018. Both the Briton and the Mexican were the only ones to have made a single pit stop, which was key to their success. Both managed to extend the lifespan of their tires with a display of superior driving skill.

Sebastian Vettel completed the podium after a seven-place-climb lightning start. The Ferrari driver, who hasn’t set foot on the podium since Mexico 2019, stole the position from teammate Charles Leclerc at the antepenultimate corner, while the latter was attempting a pass on Perez. In any case, a fourth place is not a bad result for the young Monegasque. 

McLaren´s Carlos Sainz also put out a remarkable performance. The Spaniard displayed a cunning driving style at the Turkish ‘ice rink’, to finally take fifth place after climbing ten positions in one of his best races of the year. 

To put the feat into perspective one must realise the difficult overtaking conditions, with only one lane kept dry throughout the race. To round off his big day, Sainz demoted teammate Lando Norris from his seventh place in the standings. 

Star of the day, Lewis Hamilton, continues to expand his legacy. This Sunday he has claimed his tenth victory of the season and 94th of his Formula One career, not to mention his 97 poles. It is going to be a few decades before anyone can improve those numbers. 
Max Verstappen’s hasty performance, on the other hand, was the great disappointment of the day. From a second start on the grid, he finished sixth, ahead of Albon. A sluggish start and various mistakes have prevented him from shining. Oops.. and Racing Point´s Lance Stroll. The Canadian started P1 and finished P9.

 

Stroll holds on to the pole 

Despite the slippery conditions, Stroll stayed nailed to the Turkish tarmac to keep his starting first place. Verstappen, who came out in second, was unable to react as several rivals, including Sergio Perez, swamped him with ease. 

Sebastian Vettel settled behind the two pink cars in an extraordinary manoeuvre which saw him climb seven places to fourth in the initial meters and then take third place during the first laps. 

Meanwhile, a cautious Lewis Hamilton was happy with keeping his sixth place on the grid and staying away from trouble. 

A couple of laps later, Max, anxious to not be left behind, started a reckless comeback to take fourth behind Vettel.  The two Racing Points had opened up a great advantage, with Stroll five seconds ahead of his Mexican partner, who in turn was followed by Vettel. 

First round of pit stops 

After nine laps, the first cars started to pit. The asphalt was drying and the wet tires (blue) had to be replaced by intermediate ones (green). Meanwhile, the pink partners, 

Stroll and Perez, continued to lead away at the Turkish Grand Prix, with Verstappen in third place. One place behind, Vettel was defending his fourth place teeth and nail from Albon. Meanwhile, Hamilton lost two places to return to sixth after an inconsequential trip across the grass. 

On his desperate chase after Perez, Mad Max made his first mistake, which would be followed by several more. A spin on lap 18 was his goodbye to any hope of a good result. After the incident, the impatient Dutchman changed his wrecked tires, returning to action in eighth position. 
Stroll sinks back to eight & Hamilton crowns

Lap 37 was a turning point. Stroll pitted, possibly two laps later than he should have, returning to action in fourth behind Verstappen. Then, the performance of the Canadian started to suffer a sharp decline. His rhythm was very slow and he was losing places incomprehensibly until he finally dropped to eighth. 

The fate of the race was decided during that same lap. Hamilton overtook Checo Perez for first while Max was still running third. From that moment on, the #44 made show of his superb driving skills in order to conserve tires while distancing himself from Checo. No one could stop him on his way to glory. Perez followed Hamilton to the finish line.  

Vettel completed the podium after jumping teammate Leclerc on the last corner. The Monegasque paid for his attempt at overtaking Perez by losing his place on the podium. A sensational Carlos Sainz took his third fifth place of the season after another star performance. 

Images of Turkish Grand Prix: Mercedes.

Leave a Reply