Sergio Perez’s F1 future may be uncertain – but whatever happens, the Mexican is now an F1 winner, after he benefitted from a nightmare Sakhir Grand Prix for Mercedes to claim his first ever Formula 1 victory, as Renault’s Esteban Ocon and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll completed the podium on a wild evening in Bahrain.

Heartbreak for George at Sakhir

It had initially looked as though George Russell was set to pull off an incredible maiden victory on his first outing for Mercedes. He aced the start to lead pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas for the majority of the Grand Prix. But Mercedes gave Russell the wrong tyres when he was pitted under a Safety Car. He thus had to pit again to correct the error. However, Russell then suffered a puncture that left him P9 at the flag for what was at least his first ever F1 points finish.

Perez deserves to be on the F1 grid

Perez had to pit at the end of Lap 1. The crash dropped him to the last place. That crash eliminated Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and was due to be investigated after the race.

But an incredible turn of pace from the Mexican allowed him to benefit from Mercedes’ pit error – which also left Valtteri Bottas on old hard tyres, the Finn coming home P8 – to sensationally claim his and Racing Point’s first ever victory, a week after an MGU-K failure had robbed him of a podium.

Redemption for OCON

After a difficult return to F1, Renault’s Ocon claimed his first ever podium finish in the sport. Stroll held off a charging Carlos Sainz to take his second rostrum of the year. The McLaren driver came P4 and Daniel Ricciardo P5.

Alex Albon was P6 in the sole surviving Red Bull, ahead of the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat.

The Mercedes pair of Bottas and Russell in their P8 and P9 positions led home the second McLaren of Lando Norris, who took the final point of what was a stunning evening in Sakhir.

Sakhir GP final race classification

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Hamilton seals historic 7th title with peerless wet-weather victory in the Turkish GP

A stunning drive from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the Turkish Grand Prix gave him his 10th victory of the season – and, more crucially, saw him claim the seventh drivers’ title of his career, to equal the record of Michael Schumacher, as Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel completed the podium after a thrilling race in Istanbul.

Super performance by Hamilton in the wet and sliding Turkish GP

Hamilton had started the race in sixth, risen to third midway through the first lap and then dropped back to sixth by the end of Lap 1 after an error at Turn 9. But a decision to change his intermediate tyres just once saw Hamilton drive a masterful race to claim victory by over 25 seconds from Perez.

The win alone was enough to claim championship #7, but it was even more assured after a disastrous race for Valtteri Bottas – the only man who could have stopped Hamilton winning the title today – who spun six times en route to a P14 finish.

Perez saved the tyres and got the podium

Behind Hamilton, a dramatic last lap saw Sergio Perez overtaken by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for P2. However Leclerc to overcook it at Turn 12, with Perez retaking second as Vettel made it through on his team mate to claim a first podium of the season.

Charles misses podium in the final lap. Instead Seb gets it

Leclerc was left to cross the line P4 ahead of the McLaren of Carlos Sainz. A spin-filled afternoon for the Red Bull pair left Max Verstappen and Alex Albon P6 and P7 at the flag.

McLaren had the race pace

Norris had claimed that place after a late pass on the second Racing Point of Lance Stroll, who’d secured a brilliant maiden pole position and Saturday and led much of the early part of the Grand Prix, only for his race to unravel after a difficult third stint on intermediate tyres. That left him ninth at the flag. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo completed the points in P10.

All eyes were on Hamilton though, who was in tears as he was congratulated on his slow-down lap. He well and truly cemented himself into Formula 1’s record books.

Turkish GP final Race Classification

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Stroll takes scintillating Turkish GP pole in chaotic, rain-hit qualifying

Lance Stroll produced the best lap of his career in wet and extremely challenging conditions to take a shock pole position for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, fending of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as world champions Mercedes struggled…

Turkish GP track : All rain and icy

A resurfaced Istanbul Park was proving tricky in dry conditions, and the challenge became even harder when the rain fell ahead of and during qualifying, with drivers struggling to find grip and keep the car pointing in the right direction.

Racing Point aces it

Racing Point didn’t look too competitive in final practice and even as they moved through the first two segments of qualifying, they looked reasonable without being stellar, but when they bolted on intermediates in Q3, the cars came alive.

Sergio Perez was the first man to set the time sheets on fire with a blistering lap on the intermediate tyres, that comfortably put him top. That inspired Red Bull to ask Verstappen to abort his lap on wets, even though the first two sectors were quickest of all, in favour of changing his full wets for intermediate tyres.

Stroll headed in too and took the intermediates and after warming up the tyres, he pulled out an incredible lap to take the first pole position of his career, becoming the first Canadian to take P1 since Jacques Villeneuve in the 1997 European Grand Prix.

Max topped all practice sessions. So disappointed with P2

Verstappen was struggling to get temperature into the intermediates as well as running close to Kimi Raikkonen, which hampered his lap time. And though he managed to improve on his final lap, he could only slot into second.

Perez dropped down to third, as he failed to improve at the death, with Alex Albon equalling his best-career start with a strong fourth to ease the pressure. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo slotted into fifth for the second consecutive race, ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Struggle for Mercedes in the wet conditions of Turkish track

Mercedes struggled throughout in the wet conditions, and never really looked like they were a threat for pole position. Hamilton’s sixth was his worst qualifying performance since Germany 2018 with team mate Valtteri Bottas ninth.

Both Alpha Romeo in Q3 for the first time in 2020

Esteban Ocon was seventh, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen who gave Alfa Romeo their best qualifying performance since Brazil 2019, with team mate Antonio Giovinazzi 10th to make it two Alfa Romeos in Q3 on the occasion of Sauber’s 500th Grand Prix.

Ferrari looked good in the practice sessions. A track and condition where raw power is not needed should have been ideal for Ferrari. They however bungled up, both the cars did not make it to Q3.

Same with the McLarens, as neither Sainz nor birthday boy Lando could jump into Q3.

Turkish GP Quali Classification

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Sergio Perez revealed today that he will be leaving Racing Point from 2021. Sebastian Vettel will replace him in the renamed Aston Martin team for ‘2021 and beyond’.

Adios Checo!

Sergio Perez said the 2020 season would be his last with the Silverstone-based squad, despite the fact he signed a three-year contract just last year. Four time world champion Sebastian Vettel will replace him.

He added that he has no “Plan B” in terms of a drive for 2021, and that the move “hurts a bit as I bet on the team during very rough times” – referring to the period in 2018 when the team went into administration, before being bought out by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll.

In a statement he said: “Everything in life always has a beginning and an end, and after seven years together, my time with the team will come to an end after this season.

“It hurts a bit as I bet on the team during very rough times; we managed to overcome obstacles and I am very proud of saving the jobs of several of my team mates.”

Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said: “Perez has been part of the Silverstone family for seven years and in that time has become one of the most complete drivers on the grid.

“If there was ever a sniff of a podium, Perez was ready to pounce, and those five podiums represent some of the finest days in the history of this team.

“Outside of the car, Checo is a true character and a good friend, and it’s been a pleasure working with him for such a long time. Although we will say goodbye at the end of the year, there are still nine races to go and plenty of opportunities for Checo to make some more special memories with this team.”

ENTER SEBASTIAN VETTEL

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will remain in Formula 1 beyond this season after putting pen to paper with Racing Point, who will rebrand as Aston Martin F1 Team from 2021.

Racing Point say the 33-year-old’s deal, which is for ‘2021 and beyond’, “is a clear statement of the team’s ambition to establish itself as one of the most competitive names in the sport.”

Seb said, “I am pleased to finally share this exciting news about my future, I’m extremely proud to say that I will become an Aston Martin driver in 2021. It’s a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company. I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter.

“The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll] to the sport is inspiring and I believe we can build something very special together. I still have so much love for Formula 1 and my only motivation is to race at the front of the grid. To do so with Aston Martin will be a huge privilege.”

Vettel had been in discussions with billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s team for several months, following Ferrari’s decision to let him go at the end of the year, with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz taking his place alongside Charles Leclerc next year.

Sergio Perez had a multi-year deal which ran until the end of 2022 while Stroll’s son Lance is in the other seat.

1000th race for Ferrari

But on Wednesday evening, on the eve of the inaugural Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello – Ferrari’s 1000th race – Perez shocked the F1 world by revealing he will leave the team at the end of the year and has no “Plan B” in terms of a drive.

That paved the way for Racing Point to announce Vettel – who won four consecutive championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 – would be joining them, alongside Stroll, for their first season under the Aston Martin brand.

“Everybody at Silverstone is hugely excited by this news,” said Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer. “Sebastian is a proven champion and brings a winning mentality that matches our own ambitions for the future as Aston Martin F1 Team.

“On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sebastian is one of the best in the world, and I can’t think of a better driver to help take us into this new era. He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level.”

Vettel is currently 13th in the drivers’ championship, with just 16 points and a best finish of sixth in eight races this year as he has struggled for pace in what has been an uncompetitive Ferrari.

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Valtteri Bottas pips Hamilton narrowly to take the Pole position. In a positive surprise to everyone, Hulkenburg comes third in the Racing Point.

Supreme Mercedes. Valtteri beats Lewis

With a freshly inked contract extension in his back pocket, an inspired Valtteri Bottas got the bit between his teeth to beat Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position, as super sub Nico Hulkenberg took a remarkable third for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The Finn set the pace in every single segment of qualifying, but was on the backfoot after the first runs in Q3 as Hamilton sauntered to the top of the timesheets. But Bottas refused to be rattled and while Hamilton improved again on his next effort, this time the Finn had an answer.

This was his 13th career pole position and sets him up nicely for the second successive race at Silverstone, having suffered the misery of a tyre deflation last time out when running second, with the Finn likely to be buoyed by the fact he has won the last two races he has started from P1.

Sublime Hulkenburg in the Racing Point

But the most impressive performance came from pink car of Nico Hulkenberg. The German was parachuted in to replace Sergio Perez, following the Mexican’s positive test for Covid 19, last weekend but failed to take the race start because of an engine issue. This weekend has been much smoother, with Hulkenberg comfortably beating regular race driver and team mate Stroll in all segments of qualifying.

His final effort was superb, the former Renault racer setting the third best time, inside a second of the dominant Mercedes and one tenth of a second clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Stroll had no answer to Hulkenberg as he ended up three places back.

Racing Point still has a big cloud hanging over them. Ferrari, Mclaren and Renault plan to appeal against Racing Point. At the same time Racing Point wants to appeal too for the verdict given by the stewards regarding their brake ducts.

RedBull : A distant second best team

Although we cannot say that for sure anymore with Racing Point looking in really good touch. Max was expected to be third. However Hulkenburg pipped him to that and but will start with him on the second row. Albon looked uncomfortable, especially in Q2. He just managed to come ninth. Lets hope he has a better race tomorrow.

Renault in good touch

Renault always makes grand claims about their cars improving which doesn’t appear to be true. This time however things are looking good. Daniel Ricciardo had a good quali session, coming in 5th. This after scoring some good points last week at the same track.

Esteban Ocon didn’t fare that well. He came P11 and on top of that has received a 3 place grid penalty for impeding George Russell during qualifying.

Ferrari woes continue

Charles actually looked in good touch in all the practice sessions. However even he could not convert it to a good position in the qualifying. He finished 8th on the grid.

Sebastian troubles continue. He had an engine issue yesterday in FP2. He finished P11 but most likely will be bumped one place for the Ocon penalty.

Ferrari needs to find the pace somehow, somewhere. Else they will have a painful 2020 season, and most likely 2021 too.

McLaren a bit out of touch

McLaren seemed to be doing really well in the practice session. When the testing came however they seemed a bit lackluster. Lando Norris just scraping by at P10 and Sainz at P13 ( now P12). They better have a good race pace.

Amongst the rest, Gasly was very impressive, punching much above the weight. He came in P7 in his AlphaTauri, ahead of Alex Albon in Red Bull, again.

George tried as hard as possible in his Williams and came 15th. Both the Ferrari powered teams – Alpha Romeo and HAAS didn’t do much to write about.

ALL EVERYONE IS HOPING FOR NOW IS A FAIRYTALE PODIUM FINISH FOR HULK TOMORROW.

Here is the final classification ( Ocon handed a 3 place penalty later)

Click here to watch the Qualifying highlights.

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