2021 Turkish Grand Prix: Friday free practice analysis

With a new engine fitted to his car ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton topped both free practice sessions on Friday at the Intercity Istanbul Park Circuit. The Briton’s title rival Max Verstappen had a slightly different day in comparison and struggled for pace in both sessions.

In the first free practice session, Hamilton’s fastest lap of 1 minute 24.178 seconds was four tenths faster than Verstappen’s, who ended up second. The two were followed by Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who clocked the third fastest lap, only half a tenth slower than the Dutchman.

Charles Leclerc during the Friday Free Practice session at the Intercity Istanbul Park , Turkey. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Mercedes and Red Bull's other drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez clocked the fourth and tenth-fastest times respectively. While Bottas started his day 0.664 seconds off Hamilton’s pace, Perez was 0.856 seconds slower than Verstappen.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who took grid penalties for changing his engine and powertrain components, clocked the fifth-fastest time with his new kit, but remained two tenths slower than his Monagasque teammate.

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon clocked the sixth-fastest time of the session while his teammate Fernando Alonso was ninth on the board. The duo were split by McLaren driver Lando Norris in seventh and Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly in eighth.

Hamilton on top as Verstappen struggles

The morning free practice session saw initial runs that were fairly unrepresentative of the actual pace, with drivers fairly content with the improved grip on the circuit. The freshly water-blasted and smoothened tarmac of the circuit led to improved grip levels compared to last year. However, throughout the afternoon's free practice session, high grip levels, coupled with Pirelli's softer compounds, led to most drivers struggling to extract performance around the circuit.

In the second free practice session, Hamilton’s fastest lap was marginally quicker than Leclerc’s by 0.166 seconds. His teammate Bottas was third-fastest but four tenths of a second off his pace.

Red Bull Racing drivers Perez and Verstappen were fourth and fifth fastest but the latter struggled for balance. Shedding some light on their issues, team principal Christian Horner spoke to Sky Sports, saying:

"We have a balance mish-mash at the moment. The circuit is a lot grippier than it was last year and we are just out of the window on setup. It will be a busy night tonight burning the midnight oil."

McLaren driver Norris clocked the sixth-fastest lap and was followed by Alonso, who clocked in at seventh. Gasly and Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi posted the ninth and tenth fastest laps to round out the top 10 of the second free practice session.

Max Verstappen struggled to match title rival Lewis Hamilton during Friday practice for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The surprise of both sessions was Leclerc, who was only a tenth off Hamilton and not far behind in overall race pace either.

Ferrari’s surge in performance over a single lap as well as in the long runs of the free practice session have are down to the engine upgrades installed on Leclerc’s car at the last race in Sochi. His afternoon performance could figure into Mercedes and Red Bull Racing's fight up front in both qualifying and the race.

According to the long-run comparisons of pace in the second free practice session, the lap time averages on the Medium tires were as follows:

Hamilton - 5 laps - 1 minute 27.7 seconds

Leclerc - 5 laps - 1 minute 27.8 seconds

Verstappen - 5 laps - 1 minute 28.1 seconds

Bottas - 7 laps - 1minute 28.3 seconds

Perez - 4 laps - 1minute 28.4 seconds

While Ferrari’s upgraded unit has led to a surge in their performance even in race simulations, Red Bull Racing's struggle to find the right balance has led to unrepresentative results so far. Ideally, one can expect the Milton Keynes outfit to sort out their issues by Saturday.

Horner explained Red Bull Racing's overall issue to Sky Sports, saying:

"We just need to understand the issue. We have a good car and it's just about getting into that performance window - l don't think we hit that today."

While Hamilton pounded around the circuit during free practice, adding mileage to his newly-fitted engine, his pace was closely challenged by the Ferraris. Teammate Bottas’ pace in both free practice sessions over a lap, as well as in the long runs, was much slower than the Brit.

The gap between the Mercedes duo in the short and long runs was around four and six tenths of a second respectively, with both running on the same tire compound. Keeping in mind Hamilton’s ten-place grid drop for the race, his wingman’s performance deficit could pose a pitfall for the race.