In the round-up: George Russell is optimistic the unusual track conditions will hand Williams an opportunity this weekend, despite his grid penalty for Sunday’s race.
What they say
Russell was last in first practice at Istanbul, but moved ahead of his team mate and both Haas cars to finish second practice in 17th place. Despite carrying grid penalties for exceeding the maximum number of power unit elements, he says Friday’s running shows there is plenty for Williams to be optimistic about:
I’ve never, ever experienced a day like this in in a race car before. It’s going to be a massive window of opportunity for everybody this weekend if you get it right.
In first practice I was 15 seconds off the pace and that was actually true; we just couldn’t get the tyres working and I was 15 seconds off. Then we got the tyres working in second practice and the car was feeling great, our high-fuel pace was was really strong.
So it’s a shame we start at the back but I think there’s a glimmer of optimism because we know that if we get it right, there’s going to be seconds between cars. So it might be interesting from the TV, but it’s going to be chaos from within.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Slippery track? No problem…… 😂 #TurkishGP pic.twitter.com/kVoJaYDDkl
— LeeMathurin (@LeeMathurin1) November 13, 2020
More testing coming for @alo_oficial and @gyzhou_33! Both will take to the R.S.18 in @ymcofficial; Fernando Alonso on 15-16 Nov and Guanyu Zhou on 17 Nov.#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/3b3DbClzFe
— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) November 13, 2020
The @ExtremeELive @SparkRacingTech tube chassis! pic.twitter.com/mBH8PP3CME
— Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech) November 13, 2020
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Turkey rules out Vietnam's F1 slot but still hoping for 2021 race (Reuters)
"Vural Ak, the chairman of Intercity which operates Turkey’s Istanbul Park circuit, said talks were ongoing with Formula One but ruled out the April weekend because it falls during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan."
Turkish Grand Prix: Friday recap (Haas)
"It was a strange day for everybody today, I’d say. It was very slippery, very unusual for a free practice session – but understandable. We haven’t raced here in a long time, the track was cold and damp, we really had it all. The tires, as Pirelli have said, they were not planned for such a cold event. We just need to get a grip of it, we need to use tomorrow what we’ve learned today. The prediction is rain for tomorrow – that will make it even more challenging. As we say though, challenges are opportunities. I hope we can take them."
Istanbul Slip'n'Slide (Alfa Romeo)
"Formula One finally made its return to Turkey, but what a day it was. The Istanbul Park circuit resembled a huge ice rink courtesy of a unique combo of a cold day, brand-new tarmac and a surface wash carried out overnight. The sight of cars tip-toeing around corners they’d normally take at full speed and lapping some 11 seconds off the pace of the previous lap record was the highlight of first practice – conditions making the job of gathering data on a new track even harder than normal."
"'At the start, we might have thought, because it was an energy drink manufacturer it wouldn’t have the drive or devotion for F1 – but that was proved totally wrong,' says Dave, whose team take some of the weight off the race team mechanics by stripping and preparing the cars in the factory. 'I feel immensely proud – of both the original people and those that are here now. We’ve got a great bunch that have grown with the team: they’re all motivated; they all push hard; they’re all driven by the same goals.'"
Turkish Grand Prix: Free practice (AlphaTauri)
"The car performance is dominated by tyres with this new Tarmac and track temperatures, and we’re expecting similar conditions on Sunday to what we had today. "
2020/21 Formula E pre-season testing details revealed (Formula E)
"Prior to the season opener in Santiago, Chile on January 18, the championship will make its fourth visit to Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, between November 28 and December 1. Testing will take place every day with the exception of Sunday, November 30."
Bahrain: Toyota number eight fastest in practice three while Porsche tops GTE Pro times (WEC)
"Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Brendon Hartley set a pace-setting time of 1'43.557 early in the session with the number eight Toyota TS050. Mike Conway was 0.102s adrift of Hartley’s time in the number seven car he shares with Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez"
Sir Stirling Moss OBE collection (Silverstone Auctions)
"Silverstone Auctions are proud to introduce a unique and exceptional collection of personal items belonging to the late Sir Stirling Moss, complemented by a selection of limited edition collectables and automobilia from the British racing icon."
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Comment of the day
Schooner hopes F1 drivers are having as much fun on Istanbul’s low-grip surface as it looks like they are:
I recall the first indoor karting track that I went to years ago. It had a cement surface that was polished specifically to allow for and even promote backing into and sliding around the corners.
Perhaps not the quickest way around a track, but what fun! I know that arrive-and-drive indoor karting and Formula 1 are slightly different racing disciplines, but I’d think the drivers would be having some fun with this. I bet that most of the viewers are.
Schooner
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Tristan (@skipgamer)
14th November 2020, 2:19
Err, I don’t think that cotd realises how unforgiving an F1 car is. They’re just not made to slide. At all.
(Except for maybe the Red Bull which by all accounts is why Max has such an advantage over his team mates)
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
14th November 2020, 12:02
They slide all the time its just not as visible usually. The cars all got round and it sorts the good from the great. your comment doesnt make sense if you then say RBR can, they all have similarish characteristics. If you were joking, ill get my coat/rain mac
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
14th November 2020, 2:46
I suspect the drivers hate it. If they wanted to drive on low grip surfaces, they’d go rallying!
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
14th November 2020, 5:52
@tommy-c I’ve no doubt they hate it, on the plus side, anything drivers complain about tends to lead to better racing. Sometimes I think they want to drive around in a procession.
graham228221 (@graham228221)
14th November 2020, 7:57
https://twitter.com/Charles_Leclerc/status/1327301694540161024?s=19
if it disadvantages them, they complain. if it advantages them, they love it.
i suspect they do enjoy it, even if they can’t admit it.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
14th November 2020, 11:55
Yes indeed, I think it depends whether they are all in the same boat. Charles is an oversteery driver, Lewis is smooth, some drivers love high grip surfaces.
F1oSaurus (@)
14th November 2020, 9:20
Exactly. I guess sliding around can be funny for a while. However Verstappen and Hamilton both indicated that it’s said a shame they can’t go full out. It’s the speed and g-forces that they are looking for. Going going through turn 8 at full speed would have been amazing. Now they are sort of high speed tippy toeing around it.
Jere (@jerejj)
14th November 2020, 7:44
“No races are held during Ramadan in Muslim countries, as fans don’t want to come when they are fasting,”
– Except for the Azerbaijan GP in 2016 and ’17 (the latter year’s equivalent lasted until the qualifying day). Why would it be the problem should the event again take place without attendance? With attendance, yes, there might be less than at another time. That’s the only space where there’s room for Istanbul Park, so the only other way it could end up to next year’s schedule as well would be for COVID to cause cancellations for others. If not Istanbul Park, hopefully, either Imola or Mugello, although these would also fit better on the weekend before Spain, but not as critical location-wise as with Portimao (or somewhere like Jerez, for example).
Also, on this day in F1: Seb took his first WDC ten years ago today in the 2010 Abu Dhabi GP. I’m surprised this isn’t in the relevant round-up section despite the round number anniversary.
Unicron (@unicron2002)
14th November 2020, 8:48
That certainly is an anniversary of note. Such a disappointing end to one of the greatest F1 seasons – well, if you were a fan of Alonso, Webber or Hamilton anyway. For a neutral it would have been astou ding to witness the Vettel charge from behind (points-wise).
I’ve been following F1 since 1992, and 2010 was peak F1 for me – a golden year.
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
14th November 2020, 12:03
George might need to order some more stationary
RocketTankski
14th November 2020, 12:43
If he can order the other drivers stationary then he has a good chance to win the race