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How to watch the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix: start time and TV channels
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TV start times, live streams and highlights for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix
Is Red Bull the favourite this weekend?
Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
There are plenty of questions hanging over this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix.
Will Lewis Hamilton start from the back with a grid penalty for a fresh power unit? Has McLaren found another level of performance in its fight against Ferrari? Or has the Scuderia’s recent power unit developments been disguised by recent chaotic races?
Then there are questions over the track itself. Last season, the late-notice call-up to the calendar meant the resurfacing job caused oils to rise to the surface and create a lack of grip. Rain on race day put even more question marks over who the track suited without the added variables.
Dry weather is forecast for this weekend so we should be in for some answers. Here are the times you need to know for the Turkish Grand Prix for live sessions and highlights of qualifying and the race.
How many laps is the Turkish Grand Prix?
The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix will take place at the Intercity Istanbul Park circuit over 58 laps. The weather forecast is currently predicting a 40% chance of rain on Saturday that falls to 30% on Sunday.
Where to watch
The Turkish Grand Prix weekend will be broadcast on Sky Sports F1 and feature pre and post-session coverage live from Istanbul. Friday coverage begins at 9am while qualifying and race day build-up begins at 12pm and 11:30am respectively.
Highlights will be available on Saturday and Sunday evening via Channel 4. Both will begin at 6:30pm on both evenings.
Sky Sports F1 – Live
Friday: FP1 – 9am | FP2 – 12:45pm
Saturday: FP3 – 9:45pm | Qualifying: 12pm
Sunday: Race – 11:30pm
Channel 4 – Highlights
Saturday: Qualifying – 6:30pm
Sunday: Race – 6:30pm
How to stream
NowTV will be showing each of the live sessions on Sky Sports F1 across the weekend so you can keep up with the action away from your TV. A weekend pass grants you access to the Sky F1 channel and includes pre and post-race coverage.
Who will win?
Last season’s race did little in the way of reveal whose car suited Istanbul Park.
Bitumen rising to the surface of a freshly-resurfaced circuit left drivers skating on ice and the arrival of rain only made things worse during qualifying and the race.
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This year, Red Bull is chasing Mercedes in the constructors’ championship while Max Verstappen is just two points behind Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ standings.
Mercedes won in Russia but the Sochi Autodrom circuit played to the strengths of its low-rake car while the engine and grid penalty combination for Verstappen all but ended his hopes of victory. His subsequent recovery to second though puts Mercedes in a tough situation.
Team principal Toto Wolff insists that the team will go aggressive from now until the end of the season in order to retain the titles and an engine penalty this weekend for Hamilton isn’t out of the question.
Question marks over its reliability though will be at the back of the reigning champion’s mind though following Valtteri Bottas’s extra power unit penalty in Russia despite having taken a fresh engine in Italy for the previous race.
Cooler conditions will suit Red Bull but Hamilton has won twice in previous Turkish GPs, one behind record holder Felipe Massa’s three victories.
2021 Turkish Grand Prix session times
(All times BST)
Friday
Free Practice 1: 09:30 – 10:30
Free Practice 2: 13:00 – 14:00
Saturday
Free Practice 3: 10:00 – 11:00
Qualifying: 13:00 – 14:00
Sunday
Race: 13:00 – 15:00
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