[Antilochos]

Got to say I really enjoyed today's race. It was exciting from start to finish and without a single safety car too.

Masterful drive from Lewis Hamilton. He made no mistakes, played the long game, kept his head and let the track come to him unlike some of his competitors. A champions drive if ever I saw one. Great drives from Checo, Seb Vettel, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz but Lewis Hamilton was my DOTD in the end. Was going to give it to Charles until that error at the last corner.

Weak races from Verstappen, Albon, Bottas and Stroll (in the later stages). Max was very poor today in my opinion, needs to learn some patience. The lad has been generally superb this season but that one goes down as a race to forget for him. Got let off with a pit lane infringement too as he definitely crossed the pit exit line on his first stop (I didn't see the second one which he was investigated for and cleared).

I agree the surface was awful but it was the same for everyone and in the end the race was much better that I expected. Honestly thought it would be full of safety cars and red flags. How wrong was I!

I understand the surface is the same for everyone, but it sucks for everyone including me watching. What I was watching were F1 drivers afraid to race, not sure what to do. That is not racing for me.

[morini]

I understand the surface is the same for everyone, but it sucks for everyone including me watching. What I was watching were F1 drivers afraid to race, not sure what to do. That is not racing for me.

We must have been watching a different race then Anti? There was plenty of action today and I don't think it's any surprise three older, wise and experienced drivers were on the podium at the end of it. There were only three of us in the chatroom today but I got the vibe that we all enjoyed the race today (and not because of the result, I enjoyed it all the way through). Half distance it was impossible to call who would win it, though Jody did call a Hamilton win at that point I wasn't so sure until he got past Checo into the lead. To then pull a 31 second lead on old work intermediate tyres in tricky conditions was unbelievable.

Great entertainment and they were all racing as hard as the conditions allowed. Today it was about the drivers not the cars.

[NeilP]

It was indeed a thrilling race worth getting up for (5am for me.... for the record I went into chat just before the start and there was nobody there!).

First to Anti's point which I totally get it was indeed something of a lottery purely down to conditions but on the flip side as Morini stated it was drivers driving that won the day. The comment about experience is very valid; this in my opinion should have been a Red Bull win today but yet again Max Verstappen showed his weaknesses as he tried to pass got too close and spun out. He was clearly at many stages in this race the fastest driver on track but you need more than that to win a race like this one.

I also find it somewhat amusing that Lance Stroll has a pole position and Verstappen does not. The longer these two things continue to happen the more pressure it puts on him to deliver. His words of a few weeks ago saying he will have to be around longer than he thought to catch Lewis Hamilton are not looking quite as funny today!

I thought all the top 5 drivers were brilliant today and it was great to see Ferrari competing even if it was conditions that somewhat levelled the playing field. Feel somewhat sorry for Leclerc losing a podium at the last set of corners but I also give him credit for the effort. It was great to see Vettel get a podium finish. His career has gone downhill so fast which after all his accomplishments is a sad story at least as far as I am concerned. Carlos Sainz nearly got 4th place a few more laps and who knows how much further he would have got.

All that said and done what can you say about Lewis Hamilton. Just a magnificent achievement and being a fellow Brit and of course a huge fan I am thrilled for him and Mercedes. I mean it says a lot about his polar personality that coming from 6th at the start to win (Not a very common thing in F1) driving a great race winning his 7th world title and does not win the fans driver of the day. It matters not. I just cannot understand the dislike he seems to have following him and if I am honest it bothers me on many levels.

The track I was hoping to see was not there maybe it will get another opportunity down the road (sorry no pun intended). Not a big fan of the regime in Turkey but that is another issue for another day, the organizers I feel did a great job in getting the race on track ( Pun Intended )

[Jody Barton]

That was a brilliant race, at a fantastic circuit, with a s*** surface in tricky conditions. All the drivers worked hard for it today. Difficult to pick a driver of the day, but the top 5 actually all drive exceptionally well. Seb had two awful pitstops as well.

Max had a nightmare. I think he was still annoyed about missing out on pole position. Every decision he made today was pretty much the wrong one. It should have all opened up for Albon, but yet again he messed up. His team mate spun 3 times today and he still finished behind him, if he's driving to save his RBR seat he is surely out if it now.

What can you say about Lewis? He's something special, and then hope everyone can see that. Today he was calm, collected, measured and just did what the best always do, find a way to bring it home cleanly.

[morini]

It was indeed a thrilling race worth getting up for (5am for me.... for the record I went into chat just before the start and there was nobody there!).

Yeah, when I logged on to chatroom I could see you listed as logged in along with Jody but you weren't responding. A few minutes later your connection timed out and Paddy arrived. I assumed you'd gone back to bed!

[PapaofGags]

#Controversial... after todays race I hope they make a rule to retarmac every circuit two weeks before every race!  

In a sport full of ego's todays young guns found out what a world champion's drive looks like, recently some of them have said they could win in Lewis's car, I liked the response from Toto "those drivers should look at themselves & ask why Mercedes have not chosen them to be in our car"

In pretty much the hardest conditions most have us has seen the cream rose to the top, patience, drivers nouse, experience & pace when needed, Lewis really is the most complete driver, in my view the only one on the grid. 
(I would put DR as the closest, followed by Max & CLK who still need to iron out mistakes imo)

So much praise for CLK, felt sorry for the lad after his last lap mistake, also very happy for Perez.

I'm really happy we have so many incredibly talented youngsters in F1 & have no doubt that they will become race winners & WC's in the years to come, the future really is very bright & exciting, but for now Lewis is King.

7 time WDC, very proud of you Lewis, keep on rising.

[morini]

7 time WDC, very proud of you Lewis, keep on rising.

Great post buddy.

[Antilochos]

I understand the surface is the same for everyone, but it sucks for everyone including me watching. What I was watching were F1 drivers afraid to race, not sure what to do. That is not racing for me.

We must have been watching a different race then Anti? There was plenty of action today and I don't think it's any surprise three older, wise and experienced drivers were on the podium at the end of it. There were only three of us in the chatroom today but I got the vibe that we all enjoyed the race today (and not because of the result, I enjoyed it all the way through). Half distance it was impossible to call who would win it, though Jody did call a Hamilton win at that point I wasn't so sure until he got past Checo into the lead. To then pull a 31 second lead on old work intermediate tyres in tricky conditions was unbelievable.

Great entertainment and they were all racing as hard as the conditions allowed. Today it was about the drivers not the cars.

It could be me then. I was looking forward to this weekend and this "new" track.
Then the practise didn't show that much of the drivers and cars. 
Qualifying was, to me, a bit of a joke.
With a certain amount of sceptism I started watching today. For the first half hour all I saw were extremely careful driving race cars. Then I lost interest and have been watching the race with one eye, while doing some calculations for my work. 
So yeah, it could very well be on my end that I felt disappointed in the race today (and I still do!). 

Still, amazing job from Hamilton and yes, maybe it is not a coincidence that today the three drivers on the podium are three very experienced guys.

[forzaferrari]

Well done on number 7 Lewis!

[morini]

Oh dear 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/verst...gp/4911667

I'm nobody to give this guy advice so I will proffer a worthless opinion instead. I think you need to spend more time and energy learning from a poor performance than trying to justify it. That is what the best will do, every time. If you want to be a great analyse your bad experiences and use them to improve. Time to move on from it Max.