What are the stakes of the Turkish Grand Prix this Sunday?

The wild qualifying session delivered its verdict and both Mercedes failed, despite their DAS, to secure the front row. Lance Stroll impressed everyone by taking the fastest lap, right under the nose of a Dutchman frustrated with his second place. Both Alfa Romeos managed to get into Q3, confirming that anything can happen tomorrow. Given the results of the free practice sessions, the battle promises to be very open, especially if the rain gets involved. What are the stakes for the race this Sunday?

Weather, the first unknown

The forecast calls for rain tomorrow late morning in Istanbul. The track is already very slippery, and if the track is wet as it has been in recent days, it will be a real ordeal with 20 riders in the first corners. Clear skies are expected from the race onwards, but everything can still change.

Lewis Hamilton, a little more into legend this Turkish weekend?

It’s only a matter of days before Lewis Hamilton joins Michael Schumacher in the number of world titles won in this discipline. We also present all possible scenarios for this option to materialize as early as tomorrow.

It is therefore certain that the cameras will be fixed on the progress of the two silver arrows, especially the one bearing the number 44.

Can Lance Stroll win the race?

The Canadian driver achieved the feat of qualifying in pole position. This hadn’t happened for a Canadian driver since Jacques Villeneuve and his last pole at the European Grand Prix (held in Jerez) on 10/26/1997, the day before his championship victory. The conditions were harsh, but he managed to stay focused until the end to snatch the pole from his teammate (who made a mistake on the last lap) and Max Verstappen. Tomorrow, things will be different. The weather uncertainty could potentially favor another driver. In any case, the “pink Mercedes” should be watched closely because, unlike the silver arrows, they are in good shape. The first corner will be crucial to start the Grand Prix well.

Which team, Racing Point, Renault, or McLaren, will score the most points?

The race for 3rd place in the constructors’ standings is tighter than ever with 4 Grand Prix left in the season. Renault leads McLaren by 1 point and Racing Point by 2 points. The advantage after qualifying is clearly with Racing Point for now, as McLaren has no drivers in the Top 10. To be continued.

Will Alex Albon succeed in reviving his career with Red Bull?

He has been in the shadow of his teammate throughout the practice sessions. Nevertheless, he seems comfortable, and his Red Bull too. He must prove that he can be relied upon next year, so he cannot afford any mistakes in the race. The Thai driver will need to excel if he wants to keep a seat in F1. By his own admission, he will not accept returning to AlphaTauri, so he must be persuasive on the track.

A race for opportunists

The two Alfa Romeos found the right settings in-extremis. According to Kimi Räikkönen, this setup was found at the end of the third free practice session on Saturday morning: “We fought like crazy all morning, but fortunately, the changes made at the end of the session were confirmed by a few fast laps that really helped us for qualifying.”

3rd in Q2, both Alfa join Q3 to qualify 8th and 10th. A first for Fred Vasseur’s team in 2020 as both drivers usually fight to enter Q2. All hopes are therefore allowed for the Swiss team and overall for all the outsiders. The calmest and most opportunistic will know how to make the most of these difficult conditions.

Abandoned tracks, but putting on a show in 2020

As with Imola, Portimao, the Nürburgring, or even Mugello, many drivers will discover this Turkish track. A real track filled with excitement, we should expect some spectacle.

Furthermore, the track was resurfaced ten days ago, and the tire supplier Pirelli was not informed of this change, which poses enormous grip issues.

Sergio Perez: « It was like driving in my kitchen. »

The rather cool temperatures (12 degrees in the air) combined with the implementation of this new asphalt provided a studious Friday for our twenty F1 drivers, each expressing their amazement:

Sergio Pérez says that during the track walk, it’s as if we are walking on marble. So, it’s like driving in a kitchen. It’s really difficult, very slippery. The track should improve, but I’m not expecting much more for the race.

The race promises us suspense with this new equation of two unknowns: the quality of the track and the effectiveness of the tires. It should also be noted that this atypical circuit, which the drivers love, should allow attackers and opportunists to make a good move.

Pierre Gasly confirms that this track allows for overtaking opportunities.

A supervised race format

To avoid extended races like those we’ve experienced in recent years, notably the historic 2011 Canadian Grand Prix which lasted five hours, the FIA has specified strict rules. The race cannot be run for more than two hours, and the event cannot exceed four hours in total. If the total distance is not completed and the drivers have not covered at least 75% of the regulatory distance, they will only score half of the initially planned points (as in Malaysia in 2009).