The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix will forever be one of the most exciting races in recent memory. The thrilling, nail-biting finish left Formula One viewers on their feet.
The whole country came together with joy when F1 arrived at Istanbul Park last month because it had been so long since fans have seen anything even remotely as thrilling in motorsports.
Supported by many famous landmarks, Istanbul makes it into F1 history as one of the best Grand Prix locations ever seen. The F1 book kicks off with a bang; all you need now is to answer this question – where can I bet on Formula 1?
Mick Schumacher, Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz Jnr are star F1 performers who have all driven the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport car this year. There is plenty of excitement around these three drivers for different reasons. Mick Schumacher is the son of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, who has been absent from racing since 2006 when he suffered life-threatening head injuries in a skiing accident.
History like this brings up lots of anxiety for fans hoping that Mick can live up to his father’s legacy and be just as successful on the track. Valtteri Bottas had an impressive 2018 season with Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport, where he won two races while finishing second in both world championships. Let’s look at the stars in detail.
Mick Schumacher
Mick, the qualifying king, took his Haas-Ferrari into Q2 on merit, beating McLaren and taking his career-best result at 14th. The track was hot, but he didn’t mind as it meant one less person could beat him to the front!
In rainy circumstances, Schumacher started 14th on Pirelli Cinturato Green intermediates (tires) but was embroiled in an early collision with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso. Through curve four, Schumacher was forced into a spin and sank to the bottom of the field.
The stewards gave Alonso an apparent sanction after stewards judged that Schumacher was the innocent party. Schumacher slid to the back and entered the race on lap 41 of 58 to tackle another set of intermediates. He kept the car rolling until the checkered flag, finishing in 19th place.
There’s little doubt this thoroughbred racing driver has what’s needed to overtake his famous father. Mick started his career in 2008 under Mick Betsch, since then reverting to his well-known surname. Mick’s a winner and someone to watch during the up-and-coming Grand Prix season.
Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas took pole position for the Formula 1 Grand Prix after beating Max Verstappen by two-tenths of a second.
The pivotal moment came after snagging back momentum through cleverly strategizing pit stops, maintaining clean tires throughout, creating an opportunity where Bottas jumped right past Charles Leclerc. It was then Bottas pounced with almost no resistance from behind resulting in the win.
Having qualified 2nd, Bottas led the race until his pitstop. After pitting for new tires along with Hamilton (who was serving an extra penalty), he went on to win by over 14 seconds!
He did it in style, too, passing LeClerc’s Ferrari after they engaged in battle at turn one and taking victory ahead of Verstappen.
The Turkish GP has been his most successful F1 season yet, thanks mainly to downplaying mistakes while also capitalizing when others make them. Boy, plenty is happening here, just for us to enjoy – let’s not forget all the awards Bottas has to his name.
Bottas has won many awards to show for his success. Sky Sports named him for the award of Most Improved Driver in 2014, and he captured the Lorenzo Bandini trophy 2018, among other achievements.
Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz Jnr, son of rally driver Carlos Sainz Snr, finished ninth in Q1 and moved up one grid spot thanks to Ricciardo’s power unit change. CSJ battled his way into the top ten by lap 14 with some help from incidents ahead of him on track but could have quickly finished higher than eighth if not for a prolonged pit stop at 36th place during the final round – luckily. He gained 11 places!
After moving to McLaren for the 2019 season, Carlos Sainz’s contract with Red Bull Racing ended. At the Brazilian Grand Prix, he captured his first Formula One podium by finishing third in São Paulo, adding another one at Monza just two years later. He departed from there at the season’s end and joined Ferrari, where he currently races today.
Daniel Ricciardo
The Australian ace had a tough time in the wet conditions. He couldn’t get into Q1 and missed out on qualifying for finals by less than one-tenth of a second (16th place). But with only 20 laps to go before engine penalties kicked in, he changed the power unit from “accident man” to “defender tank mode,” which allowed him to make an impressive push up the grid.
This tactic gave way to two positions: 10th earlier was now 5th after his impressive drive-through penalty. A true racers’ spirit shines brightly through this man’s actions, especially at the Grand Prix.
Nikita Mazepin
Mazepin qualified 2.8 seconds slower than teammate Mick Schumacher, the slowest of all packs in Q1. Mazepin spun off twice but got ahead early only to end up behind Schumacher after the drivers pitted for new intermediate tires. However, after the pitstop, his pace dropped dramatically to two laps as he focused on staying close. Some would say close but not anywhere near enough to make an impact on the race.
Nikita is a Russian racing driver who currently races under the Haas F1 Team banner, competing since the 2014 championship season. He has dominated German-based national championships such as ADAC Formel Masters or DTM Series before coming over, where his initial success has been hard-earned.