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The Turkish Grand Prix returns to the calendar after last year’s success as the tightly contested championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen continues.
Last time out in Sochi two weeks ago, Hamilton came out on top as he went on to claim his 100th Formula 1 victory.
The rain in the dying embers of the race helped the Mercedes driver as Lando Norris’ gamble did not pay off and cost him his first-ever win after he started the race from pole position.
Verstappen did fantastically well to finish second after an engine change saw him start the race from the back of the grid with Carlos Sainz completing the rostrum.
After Hamilton’s victory, the seven-time world champion moved to the top of the drivers’ championship by a slim margin of two points.
However, with that being said, we all know what happened last time Formula 1 came to Turkey. The Brit claimed his seventh title with a couple of races to spare, but that is the key difference this year with the title battle so tightly contested.
The inaugural Turkish Grand Prix took place in 2005 with McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen taking victory ahead of Renault’s Fernando Alonso and his teammate Juan-Pablo Montoya, who set the fastest lap which is yet to be surpassed.
Istanbul Park remained on the F1 calendar for the next six years with the 2011 race being the final one before its return last year.
Top 10 Predictions
1. Max Verstappen
It is speculated that Hamilton will be taking an engine penalty this weekend which should allow Verstappen to taking victory. It won’t be an easy task if it’s a wet race as the Dutchman had trouble around this track last year but will have hopefully learned from his mistakes.
2. Valtteri Bottas
Since his announced that he’ll be moving to Alfa Romeo for next season, Bottas has shown some true quality and real pace. That was the total opposite during a bit of a bad weekend in Russia last time out, however, the Finn will be confident that he can reach the podium once more.
3. Lewis Hamilton
The Mercedes driver will have a tough task on his hands if he does endure an engine penalty, but the Brit should never be written off. His grit and determination will guide him onto the podium as he drivers’ championship lead is reclaimed by Verstappen.
4. Lando Norris
After his disappointment in Sochi, Norris will be looking to put in a massive performance that will not only build his confidence back up but allow him to stay on Bottas’ tail for third place in the drivers’ championship and a top five finish will be key.
5. Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo put in another good performance during the last race in Russia and it looks like the Aussie has finally found the sweet spot with his McLaren. If he adds more points to his name this weekend, it will ultimately be positive weekend but he will be hunting down another podium finish after his success in Monza.
6. Carlos Sainz
A podium during the last round puts Sainz’s total rosterum finishes to three for the season. The Spaniard has been a fantastic addition to Ferrari and this weekend will see him go head-to-head with Leclerc as the duo battle for sixth place.
7. Charles Leclerc
Last year’s Turkish Grand Prix must be fresh in the Monegasque’s mind after he failed to finish on the podium after a mistake with three corners to go. He will finish seventh during this year’s round at the Istanbul Park narrowly behind his Ferrari teammate.
8. Fernando Alonso
The experienced Alpine driver has been a consistent points scorer as he has finally got back into the swing of things. He’ll score more points this weekend as the momentum continues for the Spaniard heading into the final rounds of the season.
9. Sebastian Vettel
The last couple of races have been very tricky for Vettel, and at a race that he scored his final Ferrari podium, the German will be determined to secure a points finish. Ninth place is respectable especially after not scoring any points in the last three rounds.
10. Antonio Giovinazzi
A man that is still fighting for his job is Antonio Giovinazzi. The Italian’s future is still very unclear as he needs to produce some masterclasses between now and the end of the season. A good qualifying at Turkey may be the difference between scoring points and running near the back of the grid.
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