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Why Mercedes thinks it has started third-best in Turkey

Formula 1's return to action in Turkey led to a flurry of complaints about the Istanbul track surface and tyre temperatures, but the situation is being keenly felt at Mercedes. Here's why it feels its behind Red Bull, and Ferrari, and the times that back that up

Alex Kalinauckas Nov 13, 2020, 3:55 PM

Formula 1 returned to Istanbul for the first time in nine years and when the cars were released they went ice-driving, rallying or like using intermediates on a dry track - pick your simile.

The teams had turned up on the Asia side of the Bosphorus Bridge expecting to immediately be lapping in the 1m23-24s range - already inside the 3.31-mile track's record lap from 2005 and Juan Pablo Montoya in an MP4-20. But when they headed out for the start of FP1, the times initially set were over two-minutes.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.