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2021 Turkey Thoughts

THE BIG PICTURE: Six races left. Three in the Americas. Three in the Middle East. Two at brand new tracks. Engine grid penalties could still play a factor. Mercedes may have gained some power. Honda isn't going to let that slide. Two hard headed aggressive drivers. Bring it on!

EVENT: That might have been the biggest crowd Turkey has had. We'll give them that.

TRACK: From a no grip track last year to a super grip track this year, even in the wet. But the track never dries.

QUALIFYING: The rain stayed away. The sun even came out. But the wet track caught out Ricciardo in Q1, Russell and Vettel in Q2, and helped Mick Schumacher to get to Q2. Meanwhile, Hamilton dominates but will have to start 11th, giving Bottas the pole and Verstappen, who finally found speed, gets to the front row.

RACE: Normally, we would all be salivating over a wet race. But this one didn't play out like a wet race. Frankly nothing happened (outside of an epic duel between Perez and Hamilton). Not even the strategy was all that compelling except for a bit of dice rolling. Heck, there wasn't even a single DNF. Definitely did not play out like a wet race.

START: Surprisingly very professional under these conditions. Except for Alonso who got tagged into a spin by Gasly and then Fernando did the tagging, spinning Schumacher. Bottas remains calm in front, Hamilton makes up two spots on the first lap, and Perez makes a huge jump.

BOTTAS: Give Valtteri credit, a solid race (especially after last year's turkey in Turkey) controlling the whole affair from the start without a single slip up.

VERSTAPPEN: No speed (well, compared to Mercedes), so got what he could, second place and back in the championship lead.

PEREZ: An epic fight to keep Hamilton behind. That's why Red Bull hired Sergio.

HAMILTON: To pit or not to pit. They guessed right in Russia. They (may have) guessed wrong in Turkey. That's the nature of those decisions.

MERCEDES: Have they found speed in their engine that has put them back in command?

RED BULL: That was a snazzy livery to pay homage to Honda on the weekend they were supposed to be in Japan. But a new paint job is not what Red Bull is looking for right now.

LECLERC: Fourth probably was the best Charles could get.

SAINZ: It was a great drive for Carlos.

FERRARI: They are just that little bit behind on power. If only they could find it, at least for next year, to make this a three-way battle.

GASLY: Much better than last race.

NORRIS: Though Lance handily beat out his teammate, the McLaren's were behind the whole weekend.

RICCIARDO: Back in the doldrums.

ALONSO: A fantastic qualifying effort wasted.

VETTEL: In hindsight, an absolutely ridiculous decision to go to slicks.

WORD OF THE WEEKEND: No-stop.

STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 8 -- The largest points lead in the drivers' championship since the British GP.

HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Looks like that might have been the last Turkish GP (again), at least for a while (again). The race has been run nine times, 2005-2011 and the past two years. Felipe Massa has the most wins (3, all consecutive) followed by Lewis Hamilton (2). Kimi Raikkonen won the first race and of course Valtteri Bottas this year; thus, for now, making it Finnish bookends.

TWEET OF THE WEEKEND: The tweet showing Esteban Ocon's tires -- looking shredded -- after he went the entire distance with them. Hamilton might not have been as lucky if he stayed out. Not to mention, he would have been very slow.

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Sebastian Vettel, after going to slicks, told his team what was obvious to everyone, "It's not working!"

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Max Verstappen when asked what was the toughest part of his race, "Staying awake!"

SCHEDULE: Before the circus heads off to the Americas, we'll find out the final (until they change it) 2022 schedule.

Copyright © 2021 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.



RACE RESULTS
  Driver Laps
1. Bottas 58
2. Verstappen 58
3. Perez 58
4. Leclerc 58
5. Hamilton 58
6. Gasly 58
7. Norris 58
8. Sainz 58
9. Stroll 58
10. Ocon 57
11. Giovinazzi 57
12. Raikkonen 57
13. Ricciardo 57
14. Tsunoda(R) 57
15. Russell 57
16. Alonso 57
17. Latifi 57
18. Vettel 57
19. Schumacher(R) 56
20. Mazepin(R) 56

Time of Race
1:31:04.103

Margin of Victory
14.584 secs.

Safety Car
None

Lead Changes
2 among 2 drivers

Lap Leaders
Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc

Fastest Race Lap
Valtteri Bottas

Pole Position
Valtteri Bottas

CURRENT STANDINGS
  Driver Pts.
1. Verstappen 262.5
2. Hamilton 256.5
3. Bottas 177
4. Norris 145
5. Perez 135
6. Sainz 116.5
7. Leclerc 116
8. Ricciardo 95
9. Gasly 74
10. Alonso 58
11. Ocon 46
12. Vettel 35
13. Stroll 26
14. Tsunoda(R) 18
15. Russell 16
16. Latifi 7
17. Raikkonen 6
18. Giovinazzi 1

  Team Pts.
1. Mercedes 433.5
2. Red Bull 397.5
3. McLaren 240
4. Ferrari 232.5
5. Alpine 104
6. AlphaTauri 92
7. Aston Martin 61
8. Williams 23
9. Alfa Romeo 7
 
 

2024 Thoughts
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Japan
China Miami Emilia Romagna Monaco
Canada Spain Austria Great Britain
Hungary Belgium Holland Italy
Azerbaijan Singapore United States Mexico City
Sao Paulo Las Vegas Qatar Abu Dhabi

2023 Thoughts
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Azerbaijan
Miami Emilia Romagna Monaco Spain
Canada Austria Great Britain Hungary
Belgium Holland Italy Singapore
Japan Qatar United States Mexico City
Sao Paulo Las Vegas Abu Dhabi

2022 Thoughts
Bahrain Saudi Arabia Australia Emilia Romagna
Miami Spain Monaco Azerbaijan
Canada Great Britain Austria France
Hungary Belgium Holland Italy
Singapore Japan United States
Mexico City Sao Paulo Abu Dhabi

2021 Thoughts
Bahrain Emilia Romagna Portugal Spain Monaco
Azerbaijan France Steiermark Austria Great Britain
Hungary Belgium Holland Italy
Russia Turkey United States Mexico City
Sao Paulo Qatar Saudi Arabia Abu Dhabi

2020 Thoughts
Austria Steiermark Hungary Great Britain Anniversary
Spain Belgium Italy Tuscany
Russia Eifel Portugal Emilia Romagna
Turkey Bahrain Sakhir Abu Dhabi

2019 Thoughts
Australia Bahrain China Azerbaijan Spain
Monaco Canada France Austria
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Russia Japan
Mexico United States Brazil Abu Dhabi

2018 Thoughts
Australia Bahrain China Azerbaijan Spain
Monaco Canada France Austria
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Russia Japan
United States Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2017 Thoughts
Australia China Bahrain Russia
Spain Monaco Canada Azerbaijan
Austria Great Britain Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Malaysia Japan
United States Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2016 Thoughts
Australia Bahrain China Russia Spain
Monaco Canada Europe Austria
Great Britain Hungary Germany Belgium
Italy Singapore Malaysia Japan
United States Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2015 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Canada Austria
Great Britain Hungary Belgium Italy
Singapore Japan Russia United States
Mexico Brazil Abu Dhabi

2014 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia Bahrain China
Spain Monaco Canada Austria
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Japan Russia
United States Brazil Abu Dhabi

2013 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Canada Great Britain
Germany Hungary Belgium Italy
Singapore South Korea Japan India
Abu Dhabi United States Brazil

2012 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Canada Europe
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Japan South Korea
India Abu Dhabi United States Brazil

2011 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Turkey
Spain Monaco Canada Europe
Great Britain Germany Hungary Belgium
Italy Singapore Japan South Korea
India Abu Dhabi Brazil

2010 Thoughts
Bahrain Australia Malaysia China
Spain Monaco Turkey Canada
Europe Great Britain Germany Hungary
Belgium Italy Singapore Japan
South Korea Brazil Abu Dhabi

2009 Thoughts
Australia Malaysia China Bahrain
Spain Monaco Turkey Great Britain
Germany Hungary Europe
Belgium Italy Singapore
Japan Brazil Abu Dhabi


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