Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas leads the way at a wet Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday.
Istanbul: Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won an engrossing Turkish Grand Prix that was run in damp conditions, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and his teammate, Sergio Perez, completing the podium.
Light rain peppered the track well before the race and while the rain stopped, conditions called for intermediate tyres throughout. Bottas led the race away from the pole, his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton having started 11th thanks to his 10-place engine-related penalty, while Verstappen followed the Finn.
By Lap 11, Hamilton was up into the top five having passed Pierre Gasly. The defending champion would be promoted to fourth when Sergio Perez pitted on Lap 38.
The pit stops came thick and fast from Lap 35 as Lando Norris was first to choose new inters, Verstappen in next on Lap 37 from P2, and Bottas pitting from the lead one lap later. Charles Leclerc was released into the lead but on Lap 48 of 58, he decided the gamble to forgo a pit stop wasn’t going to pay off and came in for new inters.
Bottas delivered his first win since Russia 2020 with a flawless performance from then on. He also received a bonus point as he also took the fastest lap.
Charles Leclerc was passed by Perez on Lap 52, the Red Bull driver taking P3 and his first podium since France. Leclerc finished fourth as Hamilton could not catch the Ferrari driver in the closing laps and finished P5.
