Valtteri Bottas wins Turkish GP as Verstappen reclaims the title lead

ISTANBUL — Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas received the Turkish Grand Prix for his very first victory of the period on Sunday, though Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished second to reclaim the in general guide from title rival Lewis Hamilton.

Verstappen wiped away Hamilton’s two-place guide and now qualified prospects the Mercedes driver by 6 points with 6 races left in a thrilling title battle that could go all the way to the closing race in Abu Dhabi. Sergio Perez capped a sturdy working day for Red Bull by finishing in third spot.

Defending winner Hamilton shed worthwhile points by finishing fifth after coming in for a late tire improve, regardless of telling his workforce he wanted to keep on keep track of when continue to in third.

Hamilton was finding increasingly agitated as he fell powering Leclerc and with Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri getting on him.

“Just depart it alone,” he snapped to his race engineer when knowledgeable of Gasly’s hole.

Bottas eventually acquired the winning emotion again when he overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with about a dozen laps left, clinching his very first victory because the Russian GP in September final year.

“Haha, of course!” Bottas shouted after his tenth occupation earn and a considerably-needed 1 in the course of a frustrating final period with Mercedes just before becoming a member of Alfa Romeo up coming year.

To cap it off he clocked the quickest lap on the five.3-kilometer (3.3-mile) Istanbul Park circuit beneath a grey sky amid persistent drizzle.

Hamilton eventually arrived in for new tires on Lap fifty one but did not agree with the final decision.

“Why did you give up that spot?” a disappointed Hamilton barked on workforce radio employing an expletive.

Leclerc arrived in earlier than Hamilton and positioned fourth, lacking out on a 14th occupation podium. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo began from the back after complete motor changes. Sainz Jr. managed to end a commendable eighth.

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