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Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W11 on track during final practice prior to the Turkish F1 Grand Prix at Intercity Istanbul Park on November 14, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.
• The skills of the F1 drivers were put to the test in the horrible track conditions this weekend.
• Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was only sixth fastest on Saturday.
• Racing Point’s Lance Stroll snatched his first pole from a devastated Max Verstappen.
• For more racing stories, go to Wheels24.
Lewis Hamilton described the Turkish Grand Prix track in Istanbul as “terrible” after his first qualifying failure of the year on Saturday when Racing Point’s Lance Stroll, flourishing in the slippery conditions, secured a first pole position in his career. .
Six-time champion Hamilton, who is aiming to capture a record-setting seventh world title in Sunday’s race, was only sixth in the standings with his teammate Valtteri Bottas in ninth.
The Finn is the only driver who can prevent the Briton from taking the title again, if he can beat him by eight points or more, but like Hamilton, he fought in treacherous conditions of rain and poor grip.
“There is no grip,” Hamilton said.
“I really don’t know what to say. We did the best we could and that was the fastest we could go.”
“The track feels terrible. It feels like driving on ice. For whatever reason, some people can get their tires working, but in the end, we’re all struggling.
“I did the best I could and didn’t make any mistakes, so overall I’m happy. I did everything I could with what I had.”
When asked by Sky Sports F1 if he was disappointed in his pace and form, after the prolonged session interrupted by the red flag, Hamilton replied: “Haven’t you been watching all weekend? I was 20th before this, so this it’s an improvement. “
Stroll’s success in scoring his first pole position, and Canada’s first since Jacques Villeneuve at the 1997 European Grand Prix on his way to winning the title, ended Mercedes’ 13-pole pole streak this season.
Stroll said it was “on my bones” to shine in harsh wet and treacherous conditions after delivering the best moment of his career.
The 22-year-old Canadian, whose billionaire father Laurence Stroll owns the Racing Point team, edged out the big names in the sport in the final seconds of a lengthy and dramatic session.
He said he owed his success to feeling at home in the slippery and treacherous conditions when heavy rains disrupted procedures and left the track unsafe for 45 minutes.
“I love it and have always enjoyed it,” Stroll said.
“At home, I grew up driving on ice in our parking lot with a lot of skidding and slipping without much grip. It’s in my bones.”
He added: “There were a lot of things we weren’t sure about before qualifying. We didn’t look as competitive in Q3. I’m very happy at the moment. I put that lap at the end when I was under a lot of pressure.”
Max Verstappen in one Red Bull will start second on the grid ahead of Sergio Pérez in the other Racing Point and Alex Albon in the second Red Bull.
Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo was fifth fastest and shares the third row with Hamilton.
However, Stroll came to a nervous conclusion Saturday, when he was placed under an investigation by administrators for allegedly ignoring yellow flags.
Ultimately, he was acquitted of any wrongdoing after a turn seven incident that had caused the Perez explosion.
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz received a three-place grid penalty for preventing Pérez from leaving the pits.
His teammate, Lando Norris, was demoted five places for ignoring the yellow flags.
The penalties are a setback for McLaren as they battle Renault and Racing Point to secure third place in the constructors’ championship.
The three teams are separated by just one point with four races remaining.
Sainz, who was 13th, said the stewards could have been more considerate of the difficulties caused by the severe cold and wet conditions at the Istanbul Park Circuit.
“We are all trying to warm up our tires and I think the stewards should consider that,” he said.
“And we are all fighting to stay on track.”
