Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) won the Turkish F1 Grand Prix on Sunday in Istanbul ahead of Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who takes the lead of the championship from Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), who started 11th and finished 5th, after a last controversial stop.
The Dutchman is six points ahead of the Briton after this 16th round (out of 22) of the season.
Starting 11th because of a penalty for an engine change on Friday, beyond the quota authorized per season, Hamilton had climbed to 3rd place but had to settle for 5th due to poor strategy.
On a track wet by the drizzle which enveloped the circuit since the early hours of the day, the pilots had all fitted intermediate tires.
Toto Wolff responds to his pilot
However, with these, it is not compulsory to change the set of tires during a Grand Prix.
On a track that was gradually drying up, Hamilton wanted to give it a go without a pit stop, while Verstappen and Bottas stopped respectively on the 37th and 38th laps, out of 58.
If he obviously could not play for the victory, Hamilton left to preserve a podium when Mercedes asked him to finally stop seven laps from the finish.
Bad choice: the Briton, who came out in 5th place, could not do better and was very angry with his team during radio communications.
"There were several possibilities," replied Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
He would have been passed by Perez if we hadn't stopped him (…), and there was a risk of a puncture.
"
🗨️ "I don't know what to say. If Ocon did it, I could have done it"
Lewis Hamilton thinks he didn't need to stop and fight for 3rd place 🗣️ # TurkishGP 🇹🇷
▶ ️ https://t.co/7plkVVV12v pic.twitter.com/cWDwJQM90a
- CANAL + F1® (@ CanalplusF1) October 10, 2021
Finland's Bottas is far from these considerations.
He won his tenth Grand Prix victory, and the first this season.
Starting from pole position and author of a race without error.
He hadn't won since the 2020 Russian GP. “It's been a while, it feels good!
», Smiled the Finn, who will leave Mercedes for Alfa Romeo at the end of the year,« it was one of my best races, everything was under control ».
He is the 6th different winner this year.
"A great battle to the end"
With this victory and the point for the best lap in the race, the 32-year-old Finn, Hamilton's teammate since 2017, consolidates his third place in the championship ahead of Briton Lando Norris (McLaren), 7th Sunday.
In the first two places, the fight is still intensifying between Hamiloton, who is aiming for an unprecedented eighth crown, and Verstappen, who hopes for a very first coronation at 23 years old.
"It has been tight throughout the season and I'm sure it will stay that way, it will be a good battle until the end," reacted the Dutchman.
Next meeting on October 24 in the United States for the 17th round.
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