Verstappen in front during a slide on the Bosphorus

While Mercedes driver Hamilton, who can draw level with record champion Michael Schumacher in the race on Sunday (11.10 a.m.) after world championships, only came fourth, Max Verstappen set the best time of the day in the Red Bull. Behind the Dutchman, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) came in second and Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) in third. Sebastian Vettel drove the second Ferrari to eighth place, more than 1,6 seconds behind. Overall, the distances were unusually large. Hamilton complains “I have no grip,” Hamilton radioed to his pit box and complained about the lack of grip on his tires. Although the Silver Arrows had some difficulties, they still showed the most convincing performance in the race simulation. However, the competition was closer to the constructors' world champion than usual. But the opponents also complained a lot. “It’s worse than on ice. I can’t even give full throttle on the straight,” said McLaren driver Lando Norris. The road surface was only resurfaced at short notice a few weeks ago because the Grand Prix on the Bosphorus was only added to the calendar due to the corona pandemic and new asphalt was urgently needed. In addition, the temperatures were very low and the tire compounds were too hard - all of this together led to some spins and slow driving. For a long time, the high-tech cars were unable to move at the usual high speeds. “We just have to drive, drive, drive,” said Toto Wolff, Mercedes motorsport boss. And with more rubber on the track, the situation eased somewhat. Wolff jokingly added with a view to qualifying on Saturday: “You might need a little more rally skills to be fast.” What could make matters worse is that it is supposed to rain on Saturday and the next slide is already looming in the hunt for times for the starting grid . Can Red Bull and Ferrari keep up? Mercedes had actually traveled to Turkey as the big favorite, but now things could be a little more exciting than expected. Both Red Bull and Ferrari left a decent impression. It remains to be seen whether Sebastian Vettel, who is only a disappointing 14th in the overall standings, Leclerc or Verstappen can really be at the front. Vettel won the last race in Turkey in 2011 on the way to his second title in Red Bull. Hamilton would like to complete his seventh triumph four races before the end of the season. He definitely succeeds when he crosses the finish line ahead of his teammate Bottas. The 35-year-old Brit currently has an 85-point lead. With a 78-point lead after the Grand Prix, the title can no longer be taken away from Hamilton.

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Verstappen in front during a slide on the Bosphorus

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