TURKISH GRAND PRIX 2021

The race was damp and everyone was on inters the whole time, so it meant no DRS and people didn’t have a mandatory 2 tires to use, so they didn’t need to pit if they didn’t want to. But luckily Hamilton’s strategist messes up the trajectory and they give up some points. It’s a really great podium because there is no Hamilton on it, it’s Bot’s first win since Russia last year, and it’s a double Red Bull podium.

Free Practice 1

- no dry running last year so this is the first dry running we have seen here in the last ten years

- The Red Bull’s have special white livery, suits, and helmets as a tribute to Honda as their engine supplier which ends after this year. This was supposed to be the weekend we were going to be in Japan so it would have made more sense

- So last race Max took the penalty sending him to the back of the grid for the full engine new parts stuff and everyone was saying Hamilton would have to do that later in the year and so this race Hamilton takes a new engine and not the rest of the stuff so it’s only a 10 place grid penalty which is so stupid because how come Max had to start from the back and Hamilton gets to do the same thing as he did but in small parts and only gets a smaller penalty. I understand the logic but I hate it

- Sainz starts from the back of the grid for an “engine related” penalty. Okayyyyy ferrari

- Ferrari asked Charles why he didn’t do a mode like they suggested and Charles was like “your suggestion is not in line with what I feel” while going super fast

- Wow PDR just totally roasted Yuki and was like “Gasly is carrying the whole team, Yuki is doing nothing” which is honestly true

Free Practice 2

- part of the pit lane concrete is coming up in front of the Mercedes garage

- Already scary traffic problems and people stopping on track which is illegal

- Kimi does some classic roasting and swearing about his drink leaking in the cockpit and it’s hilarious

- Okay so who is this new Ferrari racing director now?? They showed this guy who seems to be named Lauren and didn’t say a thing about Mattia not being there so I am really confused, who is this now

Free Practice 3

- AHH ITS RAINING AGAIN after a nice day yesterday, it’s raining again just like last year

- Luckily the rain slows down and they can start getting the track dry

- Red flag for George Russell who is beached in the gravel after hitting a puddle and aquaplaning and a lot of people keep hitting the standing water

- Unsafe release for Kimi being released into the path of Lil Schu

- They’re speculating about who would get the Gio seat at Alfa Romeo if he doesn’t stay and they are saying that Andretti Autosport bought a percentage of Alfa Romeo and speculating about who would get the other seat and they mention Zhou and Colton Herta. HA no WAY Colton is coming here. But it was nice of them to say we need an American in F1.

Qualifying

- okay it’s going to be one of THOSE quali sessions where everything is chaos because there is an immediate threat of rain and so everyone just has to go out and get a lap in as fast as they can

- Bunch of people spinning and sliding including Hamilton, Max, Seb, Yuki, Mazepin and Carlos

- Yuki has a big moment taking down a sign

- Sainz knocked Daniel into 16th and out in Q1 even though Sainz has to start from the back anyway cause he’s got an engine penalty

- Out in Q 1: Ricciardo, Latifi, Gio, Kimi and Mazepin

- It’s Lil Schu’s first time in Q2! He’s so happy! Aww!

- Wow people are still spinning in these conditions

- It’s super close getting Charles to the line but he does get out of Q2

- Out in Q2: Vettel, Ocon, Russell, Schumacher and Sainz

- Hamilton gets pole but with his penalty he starts tenth and really Bot starts on pole and Max in second and Charles in third

Race

- Daniel also starting from the back for an engine penalty

- It’s super misty and foggy and rainy but there was a lot more grip here in qualifying yesterday than in last year

- Alonso spins at the first corner in the wet because he was on the outside and Gasly couldn’t avoid him

- Max is not able to get next to Bot in the first turn so it’s still Bot Max Charles

- Latifi spins and gets out in the back

- lil Schu spins from a hit from Alonso but still running

- Max reports gear shift issues

- Hamilton is stuck behind Yuki Tsunoda in 9th which is great

- Gasly gets a 5 second time penalty for hitting Alo on turn one

- Alo gets a five second penalty for hitting Lil Schu

- Sainz wobbles on a pass by Vettel and there’s contact into Seb

- Yuki spins out by himself. But keeps going. Now he’s in 13th. Ugh Yuki

- Lap 25 rain reported in one corner

- Ricciardo pits for a fresh set of inters.

- Mazepin as a back marker is shown the blue flag to let Hamilton by but Mazepin fights him and it’s obvious that he just was a jerk and didn’t let him by and everyone is like this guys a problem

- 35/58 Hamilton trying to get past Perez and Perez does a heroic job keeping Hamilton behind. During the battle Hamilton pushes Perez over the pit lane entry line

- Sainz has an inexplicable 8 second pit stop, maybe related to traffic but could just be badness

- Seb tries a medium as a gamble while everyone else is on inters and it’s just a nightmare and it’s so bad that he slides on the way into the pit lane and has to go back in immediately for inters

- Charles has a slide but keeps the lead

- 41/58 Charles asks if he can stay on that set of tires until the end because he’s in the lead and he can

- They order Hamilton to box and he says why and won’t go in for new inters

- 44/58 Max reports a problem with his steering wheel pulling left

- Charles has pretty good blistering after a couple of lockup’s

- 46/58 Bot passes Charles for first after Charles tires are gone

- 51/58 surprise, Hamilton pits

- Perez gets past Charles for third

- Bottas wins, Max in second and Perez in third. Charles in fourth and did an amazing job to stay up there