Picture Credit: Twitter
The Formula One 2021 action returned after a one-week break and it was time for the all-important qualifying session on Saturday for the Turkish Grand Prix. Istanbul Park has a history of producing lot of thrill and entertainment and it did live up to the expectations this time around as well. Mercedes and Red Bull were once again involved in an exciting battle but in the end, it was Lewis Hamilton who registered the fastest lap on the day.
However, the championship leader has taken a new Mercedes engine this weekend which has handed him 10-place grid penalty which will see him start at P11. As a result, his teammate Valtteri Bottas will be at pole position as he finished second on Saturday. Meanwhile, Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start Sunday's race at P2 after finishing third fastest in qualifying.
Daniel Ricciardo knocked out in Q1
It was quite an exciting first part of the qualification as the drivers struggled for grip under tricky conditions. There was very little rain in Turkey which was making things slightly challenging for everyone. However, the end of first session saw the track getting improved and Haas driver Mick Schumacher produced a memorable lap out of nowhere to knock out Daniel Ricciardo out of Q1.
It was a shocker for the McLaren driver, who failed to progress to Q2 only for the second time this season after Portugal. Apart from him, Nicholas Latifi (Williams), Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo), Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo) and Nikita Mazepin (Haas) were the other drivers who got eliminated in Q1.
Unfortunate for George Russell in Q2
Williams' George Russell, often known as Mr. Saturday, had another impressive outing in the qualifying session. The 23-year-old was on a flying lap in the dying seconds of Q2 and was on the brink of going ahead but a spin on the final return squandered his hopes as he unfortunately bowed out.
Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Mick Schumacher (Haas) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) were the others who got knocked out in Q2. Notably, Sainz will start Sunday's race from back of the grid after taking an upgraded power unit this weekend.
Starting Grid for Turkish GP 2021
P1 - Valtteri Bottas
P2 - Max Versatppen
P3 - Charles Leclerc
P4 - Pierre Gasly
P5 - Fernando Alonso
P6 - Sergio Perez
P7 - Lando Norris
P8 - Lance Stroll
P9 - Yuki Tsunoda
P10 - Sebastian Vettel
P11 - Lewis Hamilton
P12 - Esteban Ocon
P13 - George Russell
P14 - Mick Schumacher
P15 - Daniel Ricciardo
P16 - Nicholas Latifi
P17 - Antonio Giovinazzi
P18 - Kimi Raikkonen
P19 - Nikita Mazepin
P20 - Carlos Sainz
The Turkish GP 2021 will take place on October 10 (Sunday) from IST 5:30 PM onwards.