Bottas solo in front of Verstappen who returns to the top Leclerc is fourth

The Mercedes driver remains in front from start to finish Hamilton comeback but is only fifth. Eighth place for Sainz

ISTANBUL (TURKEY)

From start to finish. Valtteri Bottas won the Turkish Grand Prix without making a plissé: he started in front of everyone and passed in front of the checkered flag always with all his opponents behind him.

An indisputable victory, his: deserved and desired, built from the beginning of the weekend lived on the shores of the Bosphorus, after he “waited a long time (one year and 13 days to be precise, equaled Gerhard Berger, James Hunt, Ronnie Peterson, Jody Scheckter all-time 31st, ed) », Confessed the Finnish Mercedes driver in the interview at the foot of the podium in Istanbul, at the end of the Turkish GP.

For Bottas it is the tenth victory in his career, «for me one of the best ever», admits the Finnish Mercedes driver at the end of the race.

“Apart from a small burr in curve 1, I think I had 58 laps at an excellent level, the car performed very well in all conditions”, the words of the winner from Istanbul.

Thanks to the Finnish driver’s exploits, Mercedes was thus able to celebrate victory number 209 in its glorious history and moved to -30 Grands Prix from the all-time record that still belongs to the Maranello team.

It was, however, a party slightly overshadowed by the fifth place obtained by Lewis Hamilton, who had to cancel ten penalty boxes at the start.

His extraordinary comeback, however, stopped behind Charles Leclerc, or in fifth place. Thanks to the placing of the British world champion in charge, and to his place of honor obtained behind Bottas, Max Verstappen was able to return to the top of the World Championship drivers’ standings, from where he returned to look at everyone from the other: the Flying Dutchman now has 263.5 points, against Hamilton’s 256.5 and Bottas’ 177.

The other Red Bull, that of Mexican Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, finished third, while Leclerc remained at the foot of the podium.

Eighth, however, Carlos Sainz Jr., protagonist of a great comeback, after starting in penultimate position: in Istanbul we saw a great Ferrari, which bodes well for the season finale and for the future.

The Formula 1 World Championship will be back in two weeks, at the Austin circuit, capital of the state of Texas, for the US Grand Prix.

On the weekend from 22 to 24 October the duel between Hamilton and Verstappen will return for the world title that the British just does not want to give up. Not even for a single year. –

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