The Istanbul Park circuit welcomed Formula 1’s return to Turkey with a slippery track and rainy weather. Lance Stroll qualified on pole, but Lewis Hamilton won the race in treacherous conditions to become a 7-time World Champion.
This Turkish Grand Prix was a long, slow race where tiptoeing around corners was the safest way to navigate the track. Several drivers were caught out by the conditions, spinning and running off the track. Maximum concentration for drivers, nervous tension for spectators.
Stroll started well and consolidated his lead for most of the race, but as the track started to dry, he struggled to manage his tires. Overcoming an early mistake, Hamilton kept a steady pace, eventually moving himself up to the lead late in the race with a pass on Sergio Perez.
Races in wet/mixed conditions tend to draw a lucky winner, but Hamilton relied only on skill. It was a racing masterclass, one of the greatest of his 95 career wins.
Perez finished a second-place, while Sebastian Vettel salvaged a third-place finish after a late error by teammate Charles Leclerc.
Jan's Sports Blog 