Table of Contents
Turkey Grand Prix 2020: Lewis Hamilton Wins Again
The 2020 Formula One Turkey Grand Prix was held at the Istanbul Park circuit in Istanbul, Turkey on 15th November 2020. The race was the 15th round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship and the first Grand Prix held in the country since the 2011 Turkish Grand Prix. The race was won by Lewis Hamilton, who drove for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. This was Hamilton’s 11th win of the season, and his 92nd career victory, putting him just one win away from Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 victories.
The 2020 Formula One season has been a dominant one for Hamilton, with the reigning world champion clinching the championship with four races to spare and with six wins out of the last seven races. Heading into the race, Hamilton had a commanding 59-point lead over his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in the drivers’ championship.
The race itself was an exciting one, with the two Mercedes drivers and their teammate, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, battling it out for the win. Hamilton got off to a good start, taking the lead by the first corner. He didn’t look back from there, controlling the race from the front and taking the chequered flag ahead of Bottas and Verstappen, who rounded out the podium.
The race was also notable for the performance of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo, who finished fourth. It was the Australian’s best result of the season, and it came on a circuit that was unfamiliar to most of the drivers. The race also saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finish in fifth place, ahead of his teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Turkey Grand Prix 2020: Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car
The race saw two safety car periods and a virtual safety car period. The first safety car was deployed on lap 10, after a collision between the two Racing Point cars of Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll. The second safety car was deployed on lap 20, after a collision between Daniil Kvyat of AlphaTauri and Kevin Magnussen of Haas.
The virtual safety car was deployed on lap 21, after a collision between Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri and Kimi Raikkonen of Alfa Romeo Racing. The race was red flagged on lap 24, after a crash involving Leclerc and Esteban Ocon of Renault. The race was restarted after a period of approximately 30 minutes.
Turkey Grand Prix 2020: Controversy and Criticism
The 2020 Formula One Turkey Grand Prix was not without controversy and criticism. Several drivers, including Hamilton, Verstappen, and Ocon, expressed their displeasure with the track surface, which was reportedly very slippery and had several bumps and ripples. Drivers also criticised the track layout, which was said to be too narrow and unforgiving.
The race was also criticised for its overly long safety car periods and for its red flag incident. The red flag was due to a crash involving Leclerc and Ocon, which happened when the two drivers were running side by side on the main straight. The incident was later investigated by the FIA, but no action was taken.
Turkey Grand Prix 2020: Conclusion
The 2020 Formula One Turkey Grand Prix was an exciting race, with plenty of drama and action. Hamilton extended his championship lead with his 11th win of the season, while Ricciardo and Leclerc gave their teams something to cheer about with their strong performances.
The race was also marred by controversy and criticism, with drivers expressing their displeasure with the track surface and layout. Despite the issues, the race was an exciting one, and it showed that Formula One is still a thrilling sport.
