Turkish GP Race Report: S7ILL HE RISES
Lewis Hamilton sets the agenda in the world of Formula One. When he talks, they listen. When he does, they question. When he races, they follow.
This year, the Brit has been a champion on and off the track, raising the bar, his flag and awareness. If there was ever going to be a race for Hamilton to become the certified G.O.A.T. (as I put it on Sky Sports F1), the Turkish Grand Prix 2020 seemed fitting.
Moment of the Race: The Start
The challenging world in which we live has led to Formula One parachuting into various venues with hardly any notice. In general, it has gone swimmingly with some exciting races at world-class tracks. Turkey’s circuit, in downtown Istanbul, has produced fine moments in the past, and the F1 community were looking forward to watching the drivers take it on.
Unfortunately, the drivers never had the chance to push to the circuit’s limits. Having had asphalt laid just 10 days before F1 arrived, the oils were still coming to the surface of the track as it set, creating an ice-like feel - only to be extenuated by rain falling on both Saturday and Sunday. Mayhem. That is what followed.
On Saturday, the abnormal conditions left the door wide open for Racing Point and Lance Stroll to steal the show and pole position.
When Sunday came, we were all pretty confident that this was a race for which it was worth getting up reasonably early. The lights went out, at the beginning of the race, and away they went...slowly. It felt as though we were watching in slow motion. We had a brave Hamilton diving up the inside of the Renaults ahead. An even bolder start came from Sebastian Vettel, who climbed from 12th to 3rd in a matter of corners. Incredible.
The start of the race was an introduction to a race of which none of us could guess the winner. That is what we love to see.
Biggest Loser: Max Verstappen
Max led the field in all practice sessions and looked favourite to take pole position as Mercedes struggled, and he dominated. As the track dried, however, Red Bull called him in to the pit lane for Intermediate tyres - which were allowing Racing Point to put in some competitive times. In coming into the pits, Max aborted a lap that would have probably put him on pole position, but he didn't have time to finish it and put on a fresh set of tyres. When Max did get to set a lap on the new tyres, he couldn't get the tyres into the optimum window that he coils with his previous full-wet tyres. He'd have to settle for second. The young star didn't take that too well, and we saw him sitting on the floor devastated.
But surely he was going to walk the race tomorrow.
A poor start meant that the Dutchman fell back a few positions. He was quicker, but also visibly flustered. Today was a day for the unflappable, and so it showed. As he followed Sergio Perez into a high-speed right kink, Max ran wide, spinning, which lost him positions to Seb Vettel and Hamilton.
Max wasn't the only one to make a mistake in this challenging race. Howevr, he had lost control of his emotions, which has an impact on your car control.
Max with be a world champion one day, there is no doubt of that. But the current world champion would have probably overruled his team's decision and put it on pole. He also would have bided his time and waited for the right moment to pass Perez. Max is making similar mistakes to Lewis at the same age, but this race rewarded a calm, experienced head - something that Max is in the process of forming, but doesn’t yet possess.
Biggest Winner: Lewis Hamilton
It’s not about where you start; it’s where you finish that matters. This is something that we could apply to all of our lives. This year has been so tough for all of us, but hopefully, a long-term positive outcome will be an increased unity as humans.
With Boris Johnson and the Royal Family tweeting about him, Lewis Hamilton knows that he is in a position where he has the microphone in his hands and the spotlight above him. With this position, he hasn’t shied away, in fear of losing sponsorships. Lewis has used his platform to highlight our need to address things that he he feels passionately about in this world. That awareness of the big picture is what sets him apart in the conversation for greatest sporting champions.
Black Lives do Matter. Lewis doesn’t let the F1 world forget, and nor should we.
A troubling Saturday for the team saw Hamilton qualify sixth and Bottas ninth, with the Mercedes unable to heat its tyres enough.
Until halfway through the race, Hamilton was doing enough for the championship. But for champions like him, enough isn’t.
He had a great battle with his friend and long-time rival, Sebastian Vettel, but fell 30 seconds behind the leader at one stage. Lewis eventually moved into second place. He and Sergio Peres, ahead of him, showed their experience and lived up to their reputation as tyre-whispers. Lewis would take the lead from Perez and win by a staggering 30 seconds. How did he turn that around?
Lewis showed great maturity as he kept it on the black stuff and kept his head while others lost theirs. Hamilton knows that the opportunity will come to him, and when it does, he grabbed it with both hands and ran for the touchline. He’d done it. He had achieved the impossible. He’d become a seven-time world champion and the most successful F1 driver of all time.
The Brit did it in style too. The boy who didn’t live like or look like an F1 driver had done what nobody has ever done. As I said, it isn’t about where you start in life; it’s where you finish.
Oh and for those that say ‘it’s just the car’ - Hamilton’s teammate, in the same car span 6 times, was lapped and finished 14th. So do work that one out.
Honourable Mention: The Podium Finishers
We know that we had Hamilton on the top step - something he does more than a third of the times he finishes a Grand Prix. Toto Wolff, Mercedes team boss, also joined him up there, which he doesn’t often do in favour of sending other members up to enjoy the moment. IU guess Toto knew the magnitude of this race and it was only right that he was a part of it.
The other two men picking up trophies and spraying champagne were experienced drivers that had each had relatively challenging years.
Sergio Perez took second with a superb drive that makes you wonder, again, how he doesn’t have a job next year. Sebastian Vettel snatched third on the last lap, after a brilliant race, confirming why Aston Martin has signed him despite his dire season. It was a bit awkward given that Vettel is replacing Perez next year, but they were both happy to have shown what they can do and to be a part of this historic moment.
An iconic shot saw Seb lean into Hamilton’s cockpit to tell the newly-crowned champion, who was composing himself, that he was “creating history”. There is a deep respect between those two champions that have won 11 of the previous 13 titles. So that was good to see.
Sergio not having a seat in 2021 is like Jurgen Klopp getting the sack after winning the Premier League. It is ludicrous. The Mexican is fourth in the championship, despite missing two races with Coronavirus. As he admitted, in F1, it is more than just talent and financial backing required to drive, and that is a great shame.
AJontheLine ‘Line of the Weekend’: Hamilton’s Team Radio Message
After taking the chequered flag, through tears, Lewis said: “That’s for all the kids out there who dream the impossible. You can do it too!”.
Lewis is not just a champion, but a statesman for our sport. He could have made this year about him, but instead, he has made it about a better future for all. Rafael Nadal says that true champions don’t just lift trophies, but communities. Worryingly for his competitors, Hamilton says that he’s just getting started.