DHL Turkish GP Qualifying LIVE: Stroll on pole!

Red flags as new, smooth surface, plus rain, does not mix.
This is Hamilton’s first proper chance to wrap up the title.
Turkey hasn’t seen F1 action since 2011.
Bottas needs to outscore Hamilton by 8 or more points.

Provisional standing subject to various investigations:

Lance Pole!#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/WumsmY2cJ1

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 14, 2020

13:57
I’m gonna have to go, I’ll update the standings after the myriad of investigations to come after Q1.

Don’t miss the race coverage tomorrow, starting at 10am.

13:55
Mercedes have taken a pole in every race this year, you could argue they still have as this time it’s the pink version on top.

13:54

And we've got to stop, because we've got a lump in our throats

— BWT Racing Point F1 Team (@RacingPointF1) November 14, 2020

13:53
STROLL TAKES POLE POSITION!
“YES BOYS! HAHA! LET’S GO! LET’S GO!!!” Stroll bellows down the team radio!

13:52
Stroll has provisional pole!

13:52
Stroll setting purple sectors

13:51
Verstappen has gone into 2nd, but he’s over a second behind Perez.

13:50
Perez is flying, absolutely flying, and he has Stroll on the front row with him for now.

13:48
Verstappen is spitting mad in that Red Bull as he complains he has “no ******* grip”
He can’t get the inters to work.

13:47
5 minutes to go:
The inters are on everyone now. This is Verstappens pole, surely.

13:43
First runs done and dusted, both Mercedes are over 4 seconds down, with Perez leading the way.
1 Perez
2 Verstappen
3 Stroll
4 Raikonnen
5 Ricciardo

13:40
Right, let’s get this done, I have an esports championship friendly to get to that I’m already late for.
Keep it on the shiny black stuff guys and let’s get a result in 10 minutes!

13:37
Q2 Eliminations:

11	Lando Norris	4	McLaren	2:07.167	1:54.945
12	Sebastian Vettel	5	Ferrari	2:03.356	1:55.169
13	Carlos Sainz Jnr	55	McLaren	2:07.489	1:55.410
14	Charles Leclerc	16	Ferrari	2:04.464	1:56.696
15	Pierre Gasly	10	AlphaTauri	2:05.579	1:58.556

13:35
That’s a realistic gap back to the Ferraris as well…

13:32
Well, well, well.
Both Ferraris out. Both customer Alfa Romeo’s through to the top ten shootout.
That’s a kick in the guts for the mighty Italians.

13:30
Ferrari really struggling, Vettel currently the fastest red car out there in 12th. about 6 secs off the pace, ouchies.

13:27
Max is bossing this qualifying so far, Both Mercedes now 2nd and 3rd, but nearly 2 seconds off of Max.

13:26
Both Ferraris are in the drop zone now. not what we expected given Charles pace in the lead up to qualifying this weekend.

13:25
Hamilton now 1.6 secs off the pace as Max is into the 1:53’s Hamilton can barely break the 1:54’s

13:22
Hamilton is in 7th so far, but he’s 3 seconds off the pace set by Max so far.
He never has a straightforward weekend to take a title, does he?

13:18
Q2 is on straight away. everyone except the Mclarens are out on full wets.
Wheelspin is crazy as we follow him onboard, but this lap may be deleted as he couldnt slow it down enough for turn 6 and just went beyond the white line.

13:15
Top five from Q1:

1	Max Verstappen	33	Red Bull	1:57.485
2	Alexander Albon	23	Red Bull	1:59.431
3	Kimi Raikkonen	7	Alfa Romeo	2:01.249
4	Sebastian Vettel	5	Ferrari	2:03.356
5	Charles Leclerc	16	Ferrari	2:04.464

13:13
Q1 Eliminations:

16	Kevin Magnussen	20	Haas	2:08.007
17	Daniil Kvyat	26	AlphaTauri	2:09.070
18	George Russell	63	Williams	2:10.017
19	Romain Grosjean	8	Haas	2:12.909
20	Nicholas Latifi	6	Williams	2:21.611

13:10
Hamilton squeezes though by the skin of his teeth, everyone was improving except the the Mercedes but a spin by Kvyatt at turn one, an off by Latifi and Perez not being able to improve either spares the championship leaders blushes.

13:09
Max top of the timesheets, both Ferraris safe, for now.

13:07
Minus all the drama, how good is this track, should never have lost it from the calander.

13:06
GREEN FLAG
Here we go again.
No pressure boys…

13:04
Given this was Charles on his run last go out, he is gonna struggle.
If he can improve, and Max can’t then max will be out.

13:03
So, with 3:30 left on the clock, Leclerc is gonna need to bang out a good un straight away or he’s out.

13:01
GREEN FLAG: RED FLAG
Well, that was quick.
Grosjean beached in the gravel brings another red flag out straight away.
Cmon guys 🙁

12:52
Session to restart in five minutes.
Thank god for that, let’s go!

12:51
The safety car is back out to check on the track again.
Is it just me or does rain affect modern cars more than they used to back in the 90s/00s?

12:46
If they want Qualifying to finish today they better make a call soon. The sunset in Istanbul is in two hours. Every minute gone is more light fading that makes it harder and harder to get this completed safely.

12:45
I feel ye Renault, I really do.

Can we go yet?
…
What about now? Can we go now?#RSspirit #TurkishGP pic.twitter.com/4I5EZDWJ9J

— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) November 14, 2020

12:40
It’s like watching paint dry, but in this case tarmac.

12:35
The track-vac is out now, sucking up all the standing water, yet more delays…

12:33
For once, no, that’s not sweat they are drying from the inside of the HAAS helmets.

12:30
Still waiting on an update from the FIA for the session starting, the safety car is still roaring round the track checking on the grip available.

12:20
I usually don’t give you this till the session is done as it takes so long to format, but we’re all bored for now, so here you go, run-down of the grid, so far.

1	Esteban Ocon	31	Renault	2:06.115
2	Valtteri Bottas	77	Mercedes	2:07.001
3	Lance Stroll	18	Racing Point	2:07.467
4	Lewis Hamilton	44	Mercedes	2:07.599
5	Sergio Perez	11	Racing Point	2:07.614
6	Lando Norris	4	McLaren	2:07.947
7	Kevin Magnussen	20	Haas	2:08.007
8	Alexander Albon	23	Red Bull	2:08.647
9	Daniil Kvyat	26	AlphaTauri	2:09.070
10	Kimi Raikkonen	7	Alfa Romeo	2:09.268
11	Antonio Giovinazzi	99	Alfa Romeo	2:09.514
12	Daniel Ricciardo	3	Renault	2:09.731
13	Sebastian Vettel	5	Ferrari	2:09.970
14	Carlos Sainz Jnr	55	McLaren	2:10.498
15	Max Verstappen	33	Red Bull	2:10.883
16	Charles Leclerc	16	Ferrari	2:10.890
17	Romain Grosjean	8	Haas	2:12.909
18	Pierre Gasly	10	AlphaTauri	2:12.945
19	George Russell	63	Williams	2:13.117
20	Nicholas Latifi	6	Williams	2:21.611

12:16
See told ye, typical Scottish, waiting on the bus weather.

12:13
RED FLAG: Session suspended
That’s some amount of commentators curse i have been having this year.

12:12
It looks treacherous out there, gently does it with the throttle in the acceleration zones and the cars are threatening to do a switch around at low speeds.
Red flag anyone?

12:08
So far Ocon is leading Bottas at the top of the timing sheets, followed by Stroll, Hamilton, and Perez.
At the other end of the grid, it’s the expected. As i say that Magnussen pops up into 7th pushing a pitting Leclerc down into the danger zone.

12:05
It looks like a normal day in Scotland in November out in normally sunny Turkey. These late-year european races have really thrown the conditions right out the window this year.

12:03
We are underway in Q1 and straight out the gates we have the pace leader half spinning as he came back on the track.
Green walled inters are on the Red Bulls. The Mercedes boys and half the grid are on the wets so far.

11:58
It’s been eventful so far this weekend, a weekend that Lewis Hamilton can wrap up his SEVENTH world title, but the race gods have unleashed a tricky track back in the awesome Turkey.

A new surface combined with wet conditions has caused all sorts of trouble for the drivers, as a result, it is Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc that have been keeping control of the top of the timesheets.

Bottas is going to have to pull it out of the bag this weekend and hope Hamilton can’t live with the conditions to take the fight to the next round.

F1 drivers 🆚 Rainy Istanbul Park#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/dpaON0BDnH

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 14, 2020