Turkish Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying result as Lewis Hamilton quickest and Valtteri Bottas on pole
Follow all the latest updates from qualifying at the Istanbul circuit
Formula One world championship leader Lewis Hamilton was fastest in qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix on Saturday but will start 11th due to a grid penalty with Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas on pole position.
Hamilton’s title rival Max Verstappen qualified third for Red Bull and will join Bottas on the front row at Istanbul Park on Sunday.
Follow qualifying live, below.
Hamilton looks imperious
By the end of that session Lewis Hamilton was over half a second quicker than anybody else and looks in sterling form on track this afternoon.
The track conditions are changing constantly though and nothing is certain in this final session.
It could be a thriller.
Sainz sent out to help Leclerc
In a sneaky move, Carlos Sainz was sent out late in that session by Ferrari. The Spaniard didn’t set a time himself, though, and was deployed to give Charles Leclerc a tow around the track instead.
It worked, and Leclerc is safely into the top ten shootout.
Russell error costs him Q3 spot
It’s agonising for George Russell as the Williams driver makes an error into the final corner of his fast lap.
He puts his foot down but just doesn’t have the tractions and slides over the kerb and into the run-off area, costing him precious seconds.
Such a shame.
Vettel and Ocon knocked out
Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Ocon are two drivers who will be very disappointed to be knocked out.
The drivers who won’t be continuing to Q3 are:
11. Vettel
12. Ocon
13. Russell
14. Schumacher
15. Sainz
Alonso goes third fastest as Stroll spins
Fernando Alonso is safely through after a superb laps puts him ahead of both Red Bulls and into third.
Lance Stroll spins meanwhile into turn one on his last flying lap and could well be at risk of being knocked out.
Sainz not setting a time
We won’t see Carlos Sainz in this session.
The Ferrari driver will start last due to an engine change and the Italian squad have chosen to concentrate their efforts on Leclerc.
That means four drivers will drop out alongside the Spaniard.
Leclerc spins over kerbs
Charles Leclerc is the latest spinner out on track as he ruins a fast lap by losing it at the very final turn and slips over the kerbs onto the run-off area.
“I’m struggling with those mediums,” he reports over the radio. The Monégasque is currently in tenth.
Alonso dealing with conditions very well
Fernando Alonso is putting in another strong qualifying performance here and is currently fourth in the standings, over eight tenths ahead of team Esteban Ocon in ninth.
The Alpines look faster than the Aston Martins right now, with those two teams often battling each other for spots in Q3.
Verstappen and Hamilton trading blows
As the track improves Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are trading blows and knocking each off the top of the timesheets with each lap.
The Mercedes man is currently quickest by over four tenths of a second.
With eight minutes to go, Vettel, Stroll, Schumacher, Russell and Sainz are in the drop zone.
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