F1 Turkish GP Live Updates - race day
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Good morning everyone - it's a bit early, isn't it? Either way, in half an hour we'll have the Turkish Grand Prix ready to kick off. You won't want to miss this.
Crash
We've not even started yet and it's already chaotic - Giovinazzi and Russell have both broken front wings on the way to the grid. Giovinazzi went on an excursion off the road, while Russell Coultharded the pitlane entry.
Rain
For those of you who aren't watching, or who haven't turned the TV on yet, it's wet. It's not raining, but the circuit is nice and greasy.
The gazebos are out to keep the cars dry, the grid resembling Glastonbury more than Istanbul...
As the pitlane is shut, both Williamses will start from the pitlane. As they'll avoid turn 1, that might not be such a bad thing...
Information
Obviously, the underlying discussion is about Hamilton's road to a seventh title - and he could clinch it today. Bottas would need to outscore him by eight points to keep the battle alive.
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It's a cold one out there today; 12.2 degrees C air temp, 15 degrees track temp.
Getting through turn 1 is going to be crucial today, and the tiniest mistake could very well signal game over. Giancarlo Fisichella used to be a magnet for accidents in this corner.
There's Fisi in the background, airborne after tangling with Kazuki Nakajima.
Just under 10 minutes remaining before this potentially madcap Turkish GP gets underway. Is this Turkey going to be stuffed with action, or will someone overcook it into the first corner?
Rain
We've got a chance of further rain of 60% - and if it comes, it'll arrive in the first half of the race. IF. And, as the great Murray Walker once opined, IF is F1 spelled backwards...
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Five minute klaxon!
Today's relevant Simpsons quote
Everyone, naturally, is on wets - except the pitlane-starting Williamses, who appear to have inters according to the timing screen.
Green flag
The formation lap is away. Here we tentatively go.
Stroll's eager to get going, but there's drivers still snaking around at the back end of the circuit. They begin to line up.
Lights green
And the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix is away!
Verstappen has a horrendously slow start! Stroll and Perez disappear into the mist and hold a 1-2!
Hamilton got up to third, as Vettel's absolutely charged up to fourth! Verstappen and Albon have dropped to P5 and P6.
Nightmare start for Bottas! He spins at the first corner after tangling with the Renault pair. The Finn gets going again but is P18 and that could be his title hopes over... but there is a long way to go!
Hamilton goes wide at Turn 10, takes to the run-off, and lets Vettel and Verstappen trickle through!
Albon clears Hamilton too, as he went too deep into turn 12. Third to sixth in a matter of corners!
Super starts for Sainz and Gasly who both make up six places on the opening lap. Sainz is up to ninth and Gasly is 13th. At the back Ocon pits after first corner contact and is duly in last place.
Stroll has a 3.9s lead over Perez, who is 7s ahead of Vettel.
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Stopwatch
Stroll sets our fastest lap, a 1m55.125s. Meanwhile, Verstappen had a real moment trying to pass Vettel, just about hanging onto it.
In that replay, Verstappen seemed to start in first gear - but because there's so much wheelspin, second was the better option to counteract that.
TV replays of the first corner clash show Ricciardo getting squeezed with Hamilton on his left and Ocon on his right, so he ran out of room and bumped into his team-mate which forced Bottas into avoiding action meaning he also spun.
Stopwatch
Stroll logs a 1m54.170s, and he's 6.2s clear of Perez. He reports that it's drying up.
Later on in the opening lap Bottas spun for a second time, this time on his own at Turn 9, so it was possibly the worst start he could have hoped for - short of crashing out, of course. The Finn is up to P16 now having overtaken Grosjean.
Stopwatch
Fastest lap now falls to Perez, who posts a 1m53.215s to close in a little on Stroll.
Information
Race control has confirmed no investigations necessary for the first lap bumps and grinds.
Stopwatch
Perez went a full second faster than Stroll on that tour, a 1m53.030s.
Pit stop
Leclerc pits at the end of lap six to switch from the wet to the intermediate tyres. Both Williams drivers are also on inters so all eyes will be on that trio to see when the crossover point arrives with the tyres.
Looking at the sectors, the time seems ripe for the inter switch. Vettel and Hamilton are now heading in to make the change.
Pit stop
A lap later Bottas is also going for the gamble with the inters and it looks like a gamble that will pay off as Leclerc is lighting up the times on the green-walled tyres.
Stopwatch
Albon sets the fastest lap on wets, a 1m52.239s, but the inters are getting into the window.
Pit stop
It is definitely time for intermediate tyres as a gaggle of drivers pit, including Hamilton and Vettel.
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
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