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Turkey 2011 - Race highlights - Every lap covered of this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix

Published by Christine

Turkey
Credit: Sutton

You'd be forgiven for expecting a dull race after the three rounds of chaos we have seen so far this season. Turkey was not about to deliver though, with 58 action-packed laps of tyre degradation, strategy calls, overtaking moves, and Schumacher bumping into people.

From the moment the lights went out, we had battles up and down the field, and overtaking moves that lasted for many corners. Vettel led the way up front, but behind him, the real story was unfolding.

If you missed any of the action, or simply want a quick reminder, here's how the Turkish Grand Prix played out, lap by lap.

As it happened: 2011 Turkey - The Race

  • 12:00

    Hello and welcome to the Factbyte Factbox for this, the Turkish Grand Prix.

  • 12:00

    This is the fourth race of the year, with two wins to Sebastian Vettel and one to Lewis Hamilton.

  • 12:01

    Vettel is on pole yet again, a good four tenths of a second faster than teammate Mark Webber who lines up second.

  • 12:02

    For a 60 second catchup of all that happened in qualifying, I recommend F1 Minute: https://sidepodcast.com/news/sebastian-vettel-secures-pole-position-at-istanbul-park

  • 12:03

    A crowded pitlane@f1_ewen gets a shot of the crowded pitlane.

  • 12:05

    Now then, if you're watching the race, why not join in the comments? The Sidepodcast dashboard is ready and waiting for you: https://sidepodcast.com/dashboard

  • 12:06

    You can also comment via the direct thread: https://sidepodcast.com/post/live-turkey-2011-the-race

  • 12:06

    There's a poll awaiting your vote there too - do you think Williams will be able to score points this weekend? And which driver could do it?

  • 12:07

    Let's get some more links out of the way, while we're at it. You'll need live timing: http://www.formula1.com/live_timing/live_timing.html

  • 12:09

    BBC have a stream and live text: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9479417.stm

  • 12:10

    Autosport will also have a great live text up: http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/342

  • 12:12

    There were early predictions of rain a few days ago, but as the race has drawn nearer, the sun has been resolutely shining.

  • 12:14

    Mclaren and Mercedes should have live data on their sites - http://mclaren.com/formula1 and http://mercedes-gp.com respectively.

  • 12:16

    Bernie Ecclestone on the News Corp talk: "The company is not for sale. It's like somebody saying they're going to buy the BBC. It's not for sale."

  • 12:16

    And Bernie on CVC: "I'd like to see them stay where they are. Contrary to what people believe, they don't have to sell."

  • 12:17

    On Turkey: "I hope the future is here for another 20 years. We'll try and do something and find a way round it. This is probably one of the nicest circuits in the world. Everything is good about it. Maybe we haven't done enough to publicise the race, maybe that's the reason."

  • 12:19

    Bernie on Jean Todt's encouragement of in-season testing: "I don't see why we need more testing. They can test for the new drivers. With the current guys, I don't think it's necessary."

  • 12:20
    Circuit Data
    Istanbul Park Circuit
    Local timezone+0300 GMT
    First race2005
    Number of laps58
    Circuit length5.338km
    Race distance309.396km
    Start offset0.208km
  • 12:21

    Yesterday, we heard Michael Schumacher's team radio refer to a magic paddle. I wonder if he will make use of it today.

  • 12:22
    Qualifying Position
    1Sebastian VettelRed Bull
    2Mark WebberRed Bull
    3Nico RosbergMercedes
    4Lewis HamiltonMcLaren
    5Fernando AlonsoFerrari
    6Jenson ButtonMcLaren
    7Vitaly PetrovRenault
    8Michael SchumacherMercedes
    9Nick HeidfeldRenault
    10Felipe MassaFerrari
  • 12:23

    It will be worth keeping an eye on Kamui Kobayashi who couldn't set a time in qualifying, so will start last, and is bound to make his way through the field in style.

  • 12:24

    Interview with Rosberg: "We haven't really put any upgrades on the car, it's nice to see from one race to the next we're getting the most out of it. Small details, these things allow us to make big steps forward. I'm really pleased with third place on the grid, it should give me great possibility for the start."

  • 12:26
    Lap Data
    (data from Williams F1)
    Fuel consumption2.7kg/lap
    Fuel laptime penalty0.3s/10kg
    Top speed313kph
    Average speed216kph
    Pit lane loss17s
    Pit lane length384m
  • 12:28

    Mark Webber: "I would have liked to do another lap to get closer to Seb, but he did a phenomenal lap for pole. We're in good shape for the Grand Prix, and that's what it's all about these days. Seb impresses you and frustrates you as well. I've always said I want to compete against the best guys. It's been a good battle between us, certainly he's on the front foot on Saturdays, let's see how the race goes. It's the first time we've been together on the front row."

  • 12:31
    Braking Analysis
    Turn 1
    (forecast data from Brembo)
    Initial speed304km/h
    Final speed151km/h
    Stopping distance85m
    Braking time1.44s
    Maximum deceleration4.8g
    Maximum pedal load124kg
  • 12:33

    TweetTweet from @OfficialMGP: Jean Todt popped into the garage just now and had a quick catch-up with Michael... http://twitpic.com/4v1chn

  • 12:35
    Historical Session Times
    Year: 2010
    Free Practice 1L Hamilton1:28.653
    Free Practice 2J Button1:28.280
    Free Practice 3S Vettel1:27.086
    QualifyingM Webber1:26.295
    The RaceL Hamilton1:28:47.620
  • 12:36

    The pitlane is open and the cars are making their way to the grid.

  • 12:37

    QuoteComment from rethymno racer: Question: Will we see the first safety car this year today?

  • 12:39

    TweetTweet from @MarussiaVirgin: Timo back in the garage and getting out. Looks like a problem

  • 12:42

    Sebastian Vettel talks about the benefit of having an extra set of tyres: "It will be a long race, so we'll see when it makes more sense to use it. It will be tricky here because it's quite a hard track on tyres. It won't be an easy one, but that's why we're here. We start from the best possible position so we have reason to be confident. Everything seems to be fine. Things are looking good."

  • 12:43

    Vitaly Petrov: "We're quite comfortable, we have a good strategy. With our position, we're quite happy, we qualified seventh, everything looks okay at the moment."

  • 12:44

    Weather

    17°C

    Track35°C
    Humidity44%
    Wind speed6.0mps
  • 12:45

    Jenson Button on challenging Rosberg at the start: "I don't think he's going to be going slow. He's got a new set of tyres too, options. I don't, Lewis doesn't. He's in pretty good nick. You never know until you get out there."

  • 12:46

    Williams on the gridWilliams on the grid.

  • 12:47

    Timo Glock is out of the car: "It will be tight. The guy's are trying their best, changing the gearbox. We lost fifth gear on the out lap for some reason... if it makes sense to go into a race where we're already six or seven laps down... we'll have to think about that."

  • 12:48

    Ross Brawn: "The tyres are quite an interesting challenge this year. I think we'll see three stops. I don't think anyone's going to manage two stops, not at the front anyway... we made a big effort to keep one new set for the race which will be a big help."

  • 12:49

    Timo Glock waitsTimo Glock waits and hopes.

  • 12:52

    TweetTweet from @paulgilham: Think #sergioperez has seen enough of me on the grid. Heading to the first corner. Hope its a good start. #F1

  • 12:54

    QuoteComment from Bassano: If this has the largest differential between clean and dirty sides of the track, Nico stands a good chance of getting Webber into the first corner

  • 12:54

    Five minutes to go now.

  • 12:55

    Live timing has reset.

  • 12:57

    RadioTeam radio to Rosberg: "The wind is about 5kph stronger than yesterday, Nico. It's a headwind into Turn 12."

  • 12:59

    They are now clearing the grid.

  • 13:00

    The formation lap begins. A puff of smoke out the back of Button's McLaren.

  • 13:00

    Nothing serious, though. The whole pack gets away safely.

  • 13:01

    RadioTeam radio to Barrichello: "Used options for Sutil and used options for Di Resta."

  • 13:02

    Ross Brawn is sitting with the mechanics inside the garage rather than on the pitwall.

  • 13:03

    Green flagRace started.

  • 13:03 Lap 1

    All cars clear off the grid. Rosberg flew up to second place with Webber dropping back to third.

  • 13:03 Lap 1

    Webber has to defend off Hamilton, who then runs wide and loses several places.

  • 13:04 Lap 1

    Alonso is up to fourth, close up behind Webber now.

  • 13:05 Lap 1
    Driver Positions
    PosDriver
    10Vettel
    2+1Rosberg
    3-1Webber
    4+1Alonso
    5+1Button
  • 13:05 Lap 2

    Pérez pits.

  • 13:05 Lap 2

    He's getting a new front wing.

  • 13:06 Lap 2

    Petrov fell back to 8th on the start, and teammate Heidfeld closed up behind, but Nick has now lost a position to Massa.

  • 13:06 Lap 3

    CrashPetrov and Schumacher bashed wheels. Schumacher pits for a new front wing.

  • 13:07 Lap 3

    RadioTeam radio to Petrov: "Do you have any damage?" and the reply: "I don't know, at the moment no."

  • 13:08 Lap 3

    Race Control: DRS is enabled.

  • 13:08 Lap 3

    Barrichello is up to 9th now. I forgot to mention that we closed the poll and the majority think he'll grab Williams first points this weekend.

  • 13:09 Lap 4
    One to Watch
    Buttonvs.Hamilton
    5th+0.4s6th
  • 13:10 Lap 5

    We've missed an entire lap thanks to replays but the positions remain the same.

  • 13:10 Lap 5

    QuoteComment from Alex Andronov: We're now going to have to watch replays of the lap that we missed because of replays

  • 13:10 Lap 5

    TweetTweet from @autosportlive: Maldonado is 14th with Kovalainen 15th, Kobayashi already up to 16th, Trulli 17th, Alguersuari 18th and Liuzzi in 19th place.

  • 13:11 Lap 6

    Webber has passed Rosberg easily, but runs wide at the next corner. He manages to keep the position though.

  • 13:13 Lap 7

    Hamilton has squeezed past teammate Button, but the two are side by side down the home straight.

  • 13:13 Lap 7

    Hamilton finally makes the position stick and takes 5th place.

  • 13:14 Lap 8

    Fernando Alonso takes Rosberg for 3rd place.

  • 13:14 Lap 8

    Jenson Button has another go at Hamilton and repasses him for 4th position. They're still going at it, though. This could last all race!

  • 13:15 Lap 8

    QuoteComment from Lukeh: Love how lewis and jenson know how to overtake :)

  • 13:16 Lap 9

    At the front, Vettel has a five second lead over Webber, who in turn has a couple of seconds on Alonso.

  • 13:16 Lap 9

    Petrov pits from 8th place.

  • 13:17 Lap 9

    Button is now pulling a bit of a gap on Hamilton, and Massa is closing up to the McLaren.

  • 13:17 Lap 10

    Massa passed Hamilton, but they both dive into the pitlane.

  • 13:18 Lap 10

    Hamilton had a great stop and although side by side for a moment, Massa pulls in behind the McLaren when they rejoin the track.

  • 13:18 Lap 10

    Buemi pits.

  • 13:19 Lap 11

    Webber, Alonso, Rosberg and Heidfeld all pit.

  • 13:19 Lap 11

    Barrichello and Sutil also head to the pitlane.

  • 13:20 Lap 11

    RadioTeam radio to Hamilton: "Okay Lewis, we are looking at Plan B."

  • 13:20 Lap 12

    Vettel pits from the lead.

  • 13:21 Lap 12

    Di Resta and Maldonado pit.

  • 13:21 Lap 12
    Pit Stop Analysis
    DriverF Massa
    TeamFerrari
    Pit lane22.022s
    Stopped4.6s
    Pit Stop Analysis
    DriverL Hamilton
    TeamMcLaren
    Pit lane20.833s
    Stopped3.6s
  • 13:22 Lap 13

    Replays show Heidfeld and Petrov touching wheels, gesticulating to each other.

  • 13:22 Lap 13

    Rosberg is also on Plan B.

  • 13:23 Lap 13

    Button leads the race now, having not stopped yet. Vettel is second, with Webber third, both having stopped once.

  • 13:23 Lap 13

    Vettel is closing up behind Button though, less than a second between them.

  • 13:24 Lap 14

    Vettel takes the lead, but Button pits straight away.

  • 13:25 Lap 15

    Hamilton passes Rosberg for 4th place.

  • 13:26 Lap 15
    Driver Positions
    PosDriverStops
    10S Vettel1
    20M Webber1
    3+2F Alonso1
    40L Hamilton1
    5-2N Rosberg1
  • 13:27 Lap 16

    RadioTeam radio to Button: "Jenson that was a very good first stint. We're in good shape. We think those around you are doing a four-stopper."

  • 13:27 Lap 16

    Kobayashi is up to 12th, with one stop completed.

  • 13:28 Lap 16

    Replays show Kobayashi battling his way past Schumacher, running the Mercedes wide enough to allow a Force India through as well.

  • 13:28 Lap 16

    Kovalainen and Liuzzi both pit.

  • 13:29 Lap 17

    After Rosberg's exceptional qualifying to third place, he's currently down in 5th, with Schumacher down in 17th.

  • 13:29 Lap 17

    RadioTeam radio to Hamilton: "Lewis, look after the rears in Turn 8, that's where the damage is being done."

  • 13:30 Lap 17

    Brief yellow flags as Liuzzi runs wide. The HRT appears to have a problem.

  • 13:30 Lap 18

    TweetTweet from @Pirelli_Media: Jenson Button seems to be heading for three pit stops. Kobayashi looking strong for Sauber too...

  • 13:31 Lap 18

    Liuzzi has pitted.

  • 13:31 Lap 19

    Massa is closing up on Rosberg, the pair set to do battle for 5th place.

  • 13:33 Lap 19
    Gap Analysis
    PosDriverGap
    1stVET1:32.884
    2ndWEB+3.2
    3rdALO+5.7
    4thHAM+16.5
    5thROS+18.7
  • 13:33 Lap 19

    Rosberg's lap times as he struggles to hold off Massa.

    Recent Lap Times
    Nico Rosberg
    Lap 13
    1:34.149
    Lap 141:34.229
    Lap 151:34.219
    Lap 161:34.285
    Lap 171:34.193
    Lap 181:34.537
  • 13:33 Lap 20

    Pérez sets the fastest lap of the race so far, a 1:32.261.

  • 13:34 Lap 20

    Petrov pits for his second stop of the day.

  • 13:35 Lap 21

    Massa takes the position from Rosberg, but the battle isn't over yet.

  • 13:35 Lap 21

    They touch wheels around the next corner, and Massa gives it up, allowing Rosberg to take the place back.

  • 13:35 Lap 21

    Hamilton has stopped for the second time.

  • 13:36 Lap 21

    Webber pits.

  • 13:36 Lap 22

    Massa takes the position back, and now Button is in the mix as well.

  • 13:37 Lap 22

    Button goes round the outside, Rosberg wobbles a little, and the McLaren has it.

  • 13:38 Lap 22

    Massa now 4th, Button 5th and Rosberg down to 6th.

  • 13:38 Lap 23

    Rosberg and Heidfeld both pit for their second stops.

  • 13:40 Lap 24

    RadioTeam radio to Button: "Still a long way to go in this race. We're not half way yet."

  • 13:40 Lap 24

    Massa has locked up badly, flat spots the tyre, and dives into the pits... moments after Alonso finished his own stop.

  • 13:40 Lap 24

    Good work from the Ferrari mechanics.

  • 13:41 Lap 25

    Heidfeld overtakes Paul di Resta for 11th.

  • 13:42 Lap 25

    In the top ten, Vettel, Button and Sutil are the only ones to have stopped just once so far.

  • 13:42 Lap 26

    Vettel pits from the lead.

  • 13:43 Lap 26

    Alonso takes the fastest lap - 1:32.050.

  • 13:44 Lap 26
    Top Speeds
    Sector 1S Buemi280kph
    Sector 2N Heidfeld294kph
    Sector 3A Sutil239kph
    Speed trapV Petrov317kph
  • 13:44 Lap 27

    The McLaren mechanics rush out to the pitlane, anticipating a stop for Button.

  • 13:45 Lap 27

    He came in, the wheels came off, fresh wheels on, and he's out again, just ahead of Rosberg.

  • 13:46 Lap 28
    Pit Stop Analysis
    DriverS Vettel
    TeamRed Bull
    Pit lane20.112s
    Stopped3.1s
    Pit Stop Analysis
    DriverJ Button
    TeamMcLaren
    Pit lane22.639s
    Stopped5.2s
  • 13:47 Lap 28

    Vettel takes over the fastest lap of the race, a 1:31.700.

  • 13:47 Lap 28

    RadioTeam radio to Alonso: "Webber was asked to push now, to open the gap on you."

  • 13:47 Lap 29

    The pair are battling for second place, Webber ahead.

  • 13:48 Lap 29
    One to Watch
    Webbervs.Alonso
    2nd+0.4s3rd
  • 13:48 Lap 29

    Just the one retirement at the moment, Glock who did not start.

  • 13:48 Lap 29

    Kobayashi is sitting in 15th position, his charge through the field seems to have been halted somewhat.

  • 13:48 Lap 29

    And back to the poll earlier, neither of the Williams drivers are in the points at the moment.

  • 13:49 Lap 30

    We're over halfway through now. 30 laps completed, 28 still to go.

  • 13:49 Lap 30

    Alonso has passed Webber for second place.

  • 13:51 Lap 31

    TweetTweet from @autosportlive: Alonso does the DRS shuffle on Webber and is easily through into second.

  • 13:51 Lap 31

    The DRS shuffle!

  • 13:51 Lap 31
    Driver Analysis
    DriverF Massa
    TeamFerrari
    Position6
    Started10
    Stops2
    Last lap1:33.517
    Best lap1:32.882
  • 13:51 Lap 31

    Schumacher pits from 11th place.

  • 13:51 Lap 31

    He's the first to stop for the third time.

  • 13:55 Lap 34

    Di Resta and Pérez both pit.

  • 13:56 Lap 34

    Rosberg pits from 8th place.

  • 13:56 Lap 34

    Meanwhile, Vettel leads with a 9 second gap over Alonso, who has 2 seconds over Webber.

  • 13:56 Lap 35

    Massa is closing up behind Petrov, but a higher priority for him will be Button who is charging up behind.

  • 13:57 Lap 35
    One to Watch
    Massavs.Button
    6th+0.3s7th
  • 13:57 Lap 35

    Hamilton pits from fourth place.

  • 13:57 Lap 35

    Button makes it past Massa for sixth.

  • 13:57 Lap 35

    Hamilton has a massive long stop, the front right got stuck and then they had to hold him as a Ferrari came in.

  • 13:58 Lap 35

    Petrov and Massa (the Ferrari that held up Hamilton) both pit.

  • 13:58 Lap 36

    Webber pits from 3rd.

  • 13:58 Lap 36
    Pit Stop Analysis
    DriverL Hamilton
    TeamMcLaren
    Pit lane35.688s
    Stopped15.6s
  • 13:58 Lap 36

    Hamilton should be able to get to the end of the race, tyre dependent, but a 15 second stop will hurt.

  • 13:59 Lap 37

    TweetTweet from @MyTeamLotus: Heikki has just been and gone for his second stop. Seriously impressive watching how fast the boys get him out again

  • 14:00 Lap 37

    Alonso pits from second place.

  • 14:00 Lap 37

    Replays show Massa running wide and losing a good handful of positions. He's down in 13th now.

  • 14:01 Lap 37

    Heidfeld pits from fifth place.

  • 14:01 Lap 37

    Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race so far - 1:31.586.

  • 14:02 Lap 38

    Webber immediately puts in an even faster lap though.

  • 14:02 Lap 38

    Rosberg overtakes Barrichello for 9th place.

  • 14:02 Lap 38

    Virgin pitstopGood stop from Virgin for D'Ambrosio, currently running 21st.

  • 14:03 Lap 39
    Recent Lap Times
    Sebastian Vettel
    Lap 29
    1:32.194
    Lap 301:32.077
    Lap 311:32.084
    Lap 321:32.248
    Lap 331:32.131
    Lap 341:31.915
    Lap 351:31.626
    Lap 361:32.456
    Lap 371:32.205
  • 14:04 Lap 39

    Koabyashi pits from 14th place.

  • 14:05 Lap 40
    Driver Positions
    PosDriverStops
    10S Vettel2
    2+3F Alonso3
    3-1M Webber3
    4+2J Button2
    5+11S Buemi2
  • 14:05 Lap 40

    Buemi running really well up in 5th, pit stops still to be completed.

  • 14:05 Lap 40

    Button pits from 4th and returns to the track 7th.

  • 14:05 Lap 41

    Vettel also pits from the lead.

  • 14:06 Lap 41

    The Red Bull had created enough space to return to the track comfortably in the lead.

  • 14:06 Lap 41

    Buemi now pits from 5th place.

  • 14:07 Lap 42

    Schumacher is bouncing off another car again, this time Barrichello. Comes off worst again.

  • 14:08 Lap 42
    Championship Prediction
    PosDriverPts
    1Vettel93
    2Hamilton59
    3Webber52
    4Button46
    5Alonso44
  • 14:10 Lap 43

    A moment of calm!

  • 14:10 Lap 44

    Pérez pits from 13th place.

  • 14:11 Lap 44

    RadioTeam radio to Rosberg: "Think about front wing adjustment." "No change, no change."

  • 14:11 Lap 44

    Race Control: Incident involving Maldonado under investigation - pit lane speeding.

  • 14:12 Lap 44

    Race Control: Drive through penalty for Maldonado.

  • 14:13 Lap 45

    Ted News: We heard some radio traffic to Alonso in Italian, and Ted has translated it to mean "We're sticking with Vettel for now".

  • 14:13 Lap 45

    Rosberg pits from 5th place, and Di Resta comes in from 14th.

  • 14:13 Lap 46

    Buemi overtakes Schumacher for 10th place.

  • 14:14 Lap 46

    Webber pits from 3rd place, four stopping.

  • 14:14 Lap 46

    TweetTweet from @MyTeamLotus: Heikki is chasing Maldonado for 18th place now. Gap is five seconds after his pitstop

  • 14:14 Lap 46

    Paul di Resta has pulled off track, the Force India stopped.

  • 14:15 Lap 46

    Yellow flagYellow flags for Di Resta.

  • 14:15 Lap 47

    Alonso pits from second place. Petrov and Schumacher have also just come in.

  • 14:16 Lap 47

    Paul di Resta parkedPaul di Resta parked.

  • 14:16 Lap 47

    Hamilton pits from 4th, Heidfeld and Massa also in.

  • 14:17 Lap 48

    Button is now on old tyres but ahead of Hamilton. Hamilton has fresh rubber and is chasing his teammate down. More inter-team battles coming up!

  • 14:17 Lap 48

    Vettel pits for the fourth time.

  • 14:17 Lap 48

    Ten laps to go.

  • 14:17 Lap 48

    Massa's stop was slow, his right rear wouldn't go on because his wheels were spinning.

  • 14:18 Lap 48

    Webber puts in the fastest lap so far - 1:29.945.

  • 14:21 Lap 50

    Hamilton passed Button for 4th place.

  • 14:21 Lap 50

    TweetTweet from @MarussiaVirgin: Jerome is doing a great job looking after his tyres. He may be the only driver to do a two stop race

  • 14:21 Lap 51

    Kovalainen is also running on two stops at the moment.

  • 14:22 Lap 51

    Please forgive the crush, but this is worth seeing.

    Gap Analysis
    PosDriverGap
    1stVET1:29.937
    2ndALO+6.3
    3rdWEB+7.2
    4thHAM+40.9
    5thBUT+43.1
  • 14:22 Lap 51

    In Williams watch, Barrichello is 14th and Maldonado 17th.

  • 14:23 Lap 51

    Kobayashi is up to 10th with three stops.

  • 14:23 Lap 51

    Webber and Alonso are battling for 2nd, Webber squeezes past the Ferrari but Alonso hasn't given up.

  • 14:23 Lap 52

    It looks like Webber has the position now.

  • 14:25 Lap 53
    Lap Analysis
    M Webber on lap 52
    Sector 134.4279kph
    Sector 231.7284kph
    Sector 324.9232kph
  • 14:26 Lap 53

    Five laps to go.

  • 14:26 Lap 54
    Retirements
    DriverReasonLap
    Paul di RestaUnknown46
    Timo GlockGearboxDNS
  • 14:27 Lap 55

    Three wide as Schumacher and Massa get past Alguersuari. The three battling for 11th place.

  • 14:28 Lap 55

    Rosberg has passed Button for 5th place.

  • 14:28 Lap 56

    Three wideThree wide at the final turn.

  • 14:31 Lap 57

    Two laps remaining, Vettel is starting to close up to traffic.

  • 14:31 Lap 57
    Sector 1 Comparison
    DriverTimeSpeed
    S Vettel34.1279kph
    M Webber34.1279kph
    F Alonso34.1
    271kph
    L Hamilton33.5276kph
    N Rosberg33.5279kph
  • 14:31 Lap 57

    Kovalainen has stopped for a third time, leaving D'Ambrosio the only driver on a two-stopper. He is 20th, with just two cars behind him.

  • 14:32 Lap 58

    TweetTweet from @OfficialLRGP: Nick passes Buemi to get into 7th

  • 14:33

    Chequered flagSebastian Vettel wins the Turkish Grand Prix!

  • 14:34

    Webber comes in second and Alonso third.

  • 14:34

    73 pit stops in total today.

  • 14:34

    QuoteComment from Alex Andronov: Most pitstops since Donnington 93

  • 14:36
    Driver Positions
    PosDriverStops
    10S Vettel4
    20M Webber4
    3+2F Alonso4
    40L Hamilton4
    5-3N Rosberg
    4
    60J Button3
    7+2N Heidfeld4
    8-1V Petrov4
    9+7S Buemi3
    10+14K Kobayashi3
  • 14:36

    Buemi and Kobayashi the big surprises in there!

  • 14:37
    Race Winner
    DriverSebastian Vettel
    TeamRed Bull
    Race time1:30:17.558
    Race distance309.396km
    Average speed205.595km/h
  • 14:38

    Christian Horner: "It's a very sweet victory today. Brilliantly executed by both drivers. Fantastic pit work, great strategy."

  • 14:38

    The race this year is about two minutes longer than this time last year, which Martin Brundle puts down to tyre degradation.

  • 14:39

    TweetTweet from @InsideFerrari: First podium for Ferrari in the season with Fernando 3rd. A pity for Felipe, who finished 11th due to problems in two pit stops

  • 14:40
    Championship Standings
    PosDriverPts
    1Vettel93
    2Hamilton59
    3Webber55
    4Button46
    5Alonso41
    6Massa24
    7Heidfeld21
    8Petrov21
  • 14:41

    The three make their way to the podium and the National Anthem plays out.

  • 14:42

    Another race with very low retirements. Just Paul di Resta, who pulled to a stop midway through, and Glock who didn't start.

  • 14:44
    Fastest Laps
    DriverLapTime
    M Webber481:29.703
    M Webber471:29.945
    F Alonso401:30.434
    F Alonso381:30.953
  • 14:44

    The trophies are handed out. Alonso looks very happy with his third place trophy.

  • 14:45

    TweetTweet from @HispaniaRacing: The Grand Prix finished and both cars make it over the finish line #F1 #HispaniaRacing

  • 14:46

    Vettel champagneVettel celebrates!

  • 14:48

    Martin Whitmarsh: "To leave here with Lewis still in the drivers championship is a reasonable situation... but we had a number of things going on in the race itself. We had problems at the beginning... I think Lewis showed some good race pace but by that time we couldn't do anything with it. I think three stops, even for someone like Jenson was a stop too short... We had some exciting moments between our drivers on the race track, and we had some exciting moments on the pit lane, so I hope we put on a good show."

  • 14:48

    Podium celebrationsThe podium lineup.

  • 14:49

    The final gap to the lead.

    Gap Analysis
    PosDriverGap
    1stVET1:31.619
    2ndWEB+8.8
    3rdALO+10.0
    4thHAM+40.2
    5thROS+47.5
  • 14:51

    Ross Brawn: "We knew we had a bit of a vulnerability on high fuel. We'll have to think again how we approach our priorities over a weekend. When we got into the race we started blistering the rear tyres, which we hadn't seen in practice. With a shortened practice with the rain... we hadn't seen that problem. I think what's clear in racing is that qualifying is the least critical thing now."

  • 14:52
    Lapped Cars
    PosDriverLaps Down
    13A Sutil1
    14S Pérez1
    15R Barrichello1
    16J Alguersuari1
    17P Maldonado1
    18J Trulli1
    19H Kovalainen2
    20J D'Ambrosio2
    21N Karthikeyan3
    22V Liuzzi5
  • 14:55

    Press Conference Quotes - Sebastian Vettel: "We had a smooth race, a good start which was crucial. I was able to pull a gap right in the first stint which was important... All in all I've always had three, four to eight second cushion to the second guy. It makes my life and our lives a bit easier to find out which strategy works.

    "I'm very happy obviously... I had an accident on Friday and crashed the car badly, but all the guys helped a lot. Together they fixed the car. It meant some extra hours for them which I'm sorry for but I think yesterday and today makes up for it."

  • 14:56

    Press Conference Quotes - Sebastian Vettel: "It wasn't easy to know what was going to happen. We have a rough idea about tyres and how long they will last. You really have to wait for the first and second stint to see the trend.

    "I think it was the right thing to come in another time, even though it was a very short fourth stint. We were very much in control and I'm happy with how we communicate in the race. I think since China we have made a step forward. We have to make sure we keep this momentum into the next race."

  • 14:57

    Press Conference Quotes - Mark Webber: "The start wasn't that easy out of that side of the grid... as we saw last race, starting 18th, it doesn't matter. Spent a few laps trying to clear Nico. Got a bit of a gap but I was then a bit on the back foot from there. The guys pitted me a bit earlier than I expected. That's the way we went, and we'd made our bed in terms of strategy from then on.

    "The fight with Fernando was a bit unexpected. He drove a great race. That was part of it, but I think the tyres played a huge role here. Congratulations to Seb, another victory, he's on a roll, but that was the maximum I could get today."

  • 14:59

    Press Conference Quotes - Fernando Alonso: "We did a good weekend overall. The car performed a bit better than we did in the first two races, so finally we enjoyed racing again and enjoyed a race fighting for the podium positions. Changing second and third position through the race... finally we enjoy racing again.

    "As Mark said, we lost a bit of time behind Rosberg at the beginning of the race. We lost any possibility of fighting with Vettel for P1, so we concentrate on P2. We used the DRS and I was able to overtake him, and then in the last part of the race it was more or less the opposite. We had a bit of a disadvantage with tyre degradation. Next time, we'll try again."

  • 15:01
    Constructor Standings
    PosDriverPts
    1Red Bull148
    2McLaren105
    3Ferrari65
    4Renault42
    5Mercedes
    26
    6Sauber8
    7Toro Rosso6
    8Force India4
  • 15:02

    TweetTweet from @clubforce: Update on Paul - the team spotted a problem in the pit stop and asked him to park the car

  • 15:04

    Interview with a not particularly happy Jenson Button: "I think most people were on my strategy initially. Because most of them damaged their tyres on the first stint, they changed their strategy. We didn't. We didn't leave the stops late enough. The tyres were good at the end of every stop we came in. We should have stayed out longer.

    "You're not racing anymore, you're trying your best to get the most out of the car but... you're a sitting duck. They just come past you and you can't do anything.

    "It was good fun, it's a pity to finish so far back after everything in the first stint seemed to be good. Strategy-wise... something we did wrong."

  • 15:07

    Lewis Hamilton: "It was just one of those races, I think. Of course, the pit stops is somewhere we can always improve. I think I lost a lot of ground when I tried to go round the outside of Webber. I had too much front wing in the car."

  • 15:08

    Thus, the fourth race of the season is done and dusted. Red Bull continue to be dominant, but Ferrari have improved massively this weekend.

  • 15:09

    Rosberg had great qualifying pace but failed to capitalise on it in the race. Ross Brawn admits they need to refocus their priorities in the future.

  • 15:09

    Kobayashi did a great job, as did Buemi. Neither Williams driver finished in the points, with Maldonado having to serve a drive through penalty as well.

  • 15:10

    Paul di Resta suffered his first retirement of the year, but had shown good pace beforehand. Another generally clean race by all, except perhaps car-magnet Michael Schumacher.

  • 15:11

    The teams will now pack up and move on to Spain, where the European season will start proper in two weeks time.

  • 15:11

    I hope you'll be watching and commenting, and of course, enjoying the race with me here on the Factbyte Factbox.

  • 15:13

    Until then, fact fans, it is au revoir and not goodbye.

All content in the series Turkey 2011