FP3 – HAMILTON: THERE’S JUST NO GRIP. IT’S SHOCKING

After struggling with low-grip throughout Friday practice at Istanbul Park, which was newly resurfaced just two weeks ago, the drivers were faced with even tricker conditions in final practice on Saturday morning after overnight rain had fallen and drizzle swept the circuit.

The Formula 1 field goes into Turkish Grand Prix qualifying in an even more uncertain situation after rain arrived on Saturday morning to exacerbate the Istanbul track’s grip problems.

Many drivers had already described Friday’s circuit conditions as the worst they’d encountered, as cold temperatures, early-morning track washing and the recent resurfacing of the circuit combined to leave times way off the 2011 pace as cars scrabbled hopelessly for grip they couldn’t find.

Rain before practice three then made that situation even worse still.

Sergio Perez, Lando Norris, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz Jr and Antonio Giovinazzi all had spins, while Leclerc also punted Esteban Ocon into a rotation at the final complex.

Giovinazzi was the only driver who looked like he sustained any damage, the Alfa Romeo brushing the barrier with its front wing in the first of its two late-session spins.

Intermediates and wet tyres were both tried up and down the field, but neither tyre proved ideal for the combination of temperature and (no) grip.

Only 17 drivers set laptimes, with 20.9s covering them, as Max Verstappen completed a hat-trick of fastest times by doing a 1m48.485s in the window before the grip went from bad to worse as the rain intensified.

As was the case on Friday, Red Bull and Ferrari fared relatively well – Leclerc and Vettel going second and sixth, Alex Albon taking third.

Ocon and Norris sat between the Ferraris in fourth and fifth.

Valtteri Bottas was the only Mercedes driver to set a lap time and was eighth.

Current forecasts suggest the rain will pass before this afternoon’s qualifying session, but the track is still likely to be damp at best.

Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who can clinch a record-equalling seventh drivers world title this weekend, only went out for exploratory laps.

Hamilton is going out on track. But he is not happy. “There is just no grip out here…it’s shocking,” he says.

FP3 – HAMILTON: “THERE’S JUST NO GRIP. IT’S SHOCKING.” FP3 – HAMILTON: “THERE’S JUST NO GRIP. IT’S SHOCKING.”

2020 F1 TURKISH GP – FP3 – THE SLIPPERY TRACK SURFACE EVEN MORE TREACHEROUS

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