Haas F1 Team drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean qualified 16th and 19th, respectively, for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, the 14th round of the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at Intercity Istanbul Park. Grosjean will start Sunday’s race from 18th – gaining a position as George Russell, who qualified 18th for Williams, takes a grid penalty.
A rain-hit FP3 added to the challenges faced on an already low-grip circuit prior to qualifying. Grosjean and Magnussen recorded just nine laps between them in the hour-long session – their final practice before Q1 and the start of knockout qualifying.
Track conditions started off damp for Q1 with light rain soon turning heavy. Both VF-20’s exited the garage on the Pirelli Cinturato Green intermediate tire but immediately returned to switch onto the Blue wet weather extreme tire. With conditions worsening the session was red flagged with just under seven minutes remaining. At the time Magnussen was holding seventh, on a 2:08.007, with Grosjean 17th overall with a best lap of 2:12.909.
The session eventually restarted after a 45-minute delay, but it ended abruptly for Grosjean as the Frenchman found himself beached in the gravel at turn one – duly prompting a second red flag stop. He would end up 19th on the timesheet at the checkered flag. Magnussen attempted to build on his seventh-place lap but aborted his final run for waved double-yellows. He was knocked out with his earlier lap placing him 16th.
Lance Stroll of Racing Point claimed pole position for the Turkish Grand Prix – the first pole of the Canadian’s Formula 1 career. His best lap of 1:47.765 beat out second-place qualifier – Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, by .290 of a second. |
