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      Red Bull poke fun at Mercedes on Twitter after F1 team’s joke about ‘special livery’ on cars

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      MERCEDES and Red Bull’s ongoing rivalry has extended further than just on the track. The two teams have been involved in a hilarious social media exchange after the weekend’s Turkish GP.
      Verstappen (L) and Perez celebrate on the podium in IstanbulCredit: Getty

      Red Bull’s cars raced in a special one-off livery in Istanbul that paid tribute to engine manufacturer Honda – who are leaving F1 at the end of the season.
      And the Mercedes social media team took some time out of their battle for the constructors title ahead of the weekend to predict a tough race for their rivals.
      Mercedes themselves used a special 125th year livery at the 2019 German GP – which saw crashes for both Lewis Hamilton and Valteri Bottas.
      Their Twitter account posted pictures from that day, with the caption: “Special livery? We tried that once.”
      They then followed it up with a meme that read: “We looked good, but at what cost?”
      But after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished second and third for Red Bull, their own social media team responded in sensational style.

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      They tweeted a picture of the pair on the podium, with two trophy emojis, saying: “[Two podiums] in a special livery? We tried that once,” followed by a winking face.
      And that wasn’t all – with Red Bull really hammering the nail in.
      They posted a follow-up tweet with video highlights from the weekend’s two-three, saying: “Curse? What curse? Rounding off a great weekend for the Bulls.”

      But to their credit Mercedes came back with a hilarious response.
      Replying to Red Bull’s tweet, they posted a picture from the Netflix sensation Squid Game of the ‘killer doll’ which has gone viral in recent days.
      After all their own Valteri Bottas did end up winning in Istanbul to extend their lead over Red Bull at the top of the constructors standings.
      However Hamilton could only manage fifth after a late pit-stop, leaving him trailing Verstappen by six points in the driver standings with five races left in the season.

      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      Pirelli back Mercedes’ decision to pit F1 star Lewis Hamilton during closing stages of Turkish GP after Brit fumed

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      PIRELLI are backing Mercedes’ decision to change Lewis Hamilton’s tyres following a spat between the Brit and his Formula 1 team. The seven-time world champ was angered by engineers ordering him to do a pit stop at the Turkish Grand Prix as he ended up finishing fifth . 
      Pirelli agree with Mercedes’ decision to have Lewis Hamilton do a pit stop at the Turkish Grand PrixCredit: AP
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff insists it would have been a ‘risky move’ to not change Hamilton’s tyres mid-raceCredit: Refer to Caption
      Hamilton, 36, began in eleventh spot on the grid due to an engine change penalty but made up ground to reach third place with ten laps to go. 
      However, the Briton, who had hoped to keep using the same tyres he began the race with, was called to the pits with seven laps to go
      And he was heard forcifully telling his team ‘we shouldn’t have come in’  when informed of the gap between him and Pierre Gasly, who ended up finishing sixth. 
      Hamilton said after: “I feel like I should have stayed out. My gut feeling was to stay and I feel that’s what I should have done.
      “I am frustrated with myself. I lost a few points, but that’s life.” 
      Following the race, Esteban Ocon revealed his tyres were virtually kaput after using the same set for the 58-lap Grand Prix, unlike Hamilton.
      After the contest, the Alpine driver told reporters: “One more lap, I think we would’ve got a puncture. It was a risky bet. We made it work.”
      When quizzed on if Hamilton could, like Ocan, have completed the race without a tyre change, Pirelli’s Formula 1 head Mario Isola said: “Looking at the tyres after the race, I would say no, or at least it was really at the limit.

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      “The wear of the tyres, especially at the end of the race, they were running basically on the construction. 
      “It was a bit dangerous to push the boundaries. But I fully understand that in race conditions they have to maximise their result.
      “Every car is different, so the level of wear is different, also depending on how hard during the race they push. 
      “But more or less all the tyres had exposed cords, not only on Ocon’s car, most of the cars that stopped after lap 47/48 were completely finished.
      “We know the new tarmac (in Istanbul) is more abrasive and has more grip compared to last year and the track was not dry but still abrasive. So it was really, really at the limit. 
      “I was suggesting to our allocated engineers to warn the teams to change the tyres and not to go to the end because it was a risky move.”
      And Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff concurred with his staff it was ‘clear’ Hamilton would not have completed the race without the tyre change. 
      Wolff said: “The intermediate obviously looked really scary, but we thought that we could maybe hang out there and finish third with not stopping.
      “So we balanced between pitting, taking it very conservative, fighting with Leclerc and Perez on the track for P3, or taking a little bit of a gamble and either winning or finishing third.
      Hamilton’s rival Max Verstappen is currently six points ahead of him in the race for the championship title.Credit: Splash
      “Then we saw Leclerc dropping off and Lewis started dropping off and it was clear that we wouldn’t make it to the end.” 
      The result at the Istanbul Park Circuit saw Hamilton fall six points behind championship opponent Max Verstappen with six races remaining this season. 
      If Hamilton had finished third behind Verstappen – who ended up second behind victor Valterri Bottas – there would have been a gap of just a point between the Brit and his Dutch rival. 

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      Red Bull chiefs expect Lewis Hamilton to be pushed to back of grid More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s intermediate tyres during Turkish GP looked ‘dangerous’ and he HAD to pit, says Christian Horner

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      RED BULL boss Christian Horner claimed after the Turkish Grand Prix that Lewis Hamilton’s tyres were ‘dangerous’ and it was inevitable that he would pit. Hamilton, 36, suffered a disappointing finish to the Turkish Grand Prix after battling back from fuftheleventh on the grid to finish, way behind championship rival Max Verstappen in second.
      Hamilton was furious with the Mercedes team for telling him to pit in lap 51Credit: Splash
      Horner celebrated with drivers Perez and Verstappen after the race following their podium finishesCredit: Getty
      Hamilton had qualified on pole, but received a ten-place grid penalty as punishment for his fourth engine change of the season, when drivers are only permitted three.
      The seven-time world champion was battling it out with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez for third and made it clear that he wanted to complete the race on the same set of tyres.
      Horner, 47, told Sky Sports: “At one point you think he [Hamilton] is going to get to the end and from what we could see, those tyres were looking dangerous so it was inevitable he was going to have to pit.
      “At the point that they pitted, that was to our maximum advantage because at that point you could see Charles [Leclerc] as well, the tyres overheated and blistered quite badly and then the pace was lost.
      “For us, the crucial moment was for when to pit Checo.
      “We could have left him out to keep holding Lewis, [but] we decided to pit him to make sure we had track position because we didn’t believe that those tyres would make it to the end of the race.”

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      Red Bull’s strategy proved to be spot on and his two drivers ultimately finished second and third, with Verstappen clinching vital points to put him in the lead in the drivers’ championship by six points.
      Hamilton had done incredibly well to manoeuvre his way into fourth but his pace began to slow with ten laps left, and he was reluctantly persuaded by the Mercedes team to pit in lap 51.
      The Brit came back out on to the track in fifth, behind Leclerc and Perez, and struggled to get anywhere near them in the final seven laps.
      His frustration was evident as he fumed over the team radio: “Why did you give up that place? We shouldn’t have come in. I told you.”
      When asked by Sky Sports whether he thought his tyres could have lasted the whole race, Hamilton said: “[Esteban] Ocon’s did, I heard, so I assume they probably could.
      “The tyres are bald so you don’t know how far they will go, so there’s definitely a little worry of the life of the tyres.
      “But also, I wasn’t really that fast at the end there. I was struggling, had low grip, not really sure why, but then all of a sudden I’d have not such bad pace. But I was losing performance to the guys behind.
      “I think probably in hindsight I should have stayed out or come in much earlier because when you come in with eight laps to go you don’t have time to go through the graining phase of that medium (intermediate) tyre on a drying track, so then I went through this whole sliding phase where I nearly lost more positions.”
      Despite his initial anger, Hamilton was more diplomatic in his post-race comments
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also suggested that Hamilton should have pitted earlier and that Hamilton’s insistence not to may have cost him a podium finish.
      Wolff told Sky Sports: “The intermediate obviously looked really scary, but we thought that we could maybe hang out there and finish third with not stopping.
      “Or if a dry line appears maybe going on to a soft tyre until the end.
      “So we balanced between pitting, taking it very conservative, fighting with Leclerc and Perez on the track for P3, or taking a little bit of a gamble and either winning or finishing third.
      “Then we saw Leclerc dropping off and Lewis started dropping off and it was clear that we wouldn’t make it to the end.
      “It was clear that if we stayed out he would have lost against (Pierre) Gasly in any case. I think that he in the car still felt good, but he was one-and-a-half seconds off the pace and would have anyway lost the position.
      “And on the other side it is always frustrating that you see the other cars, you haven’t actually passed them, they are out on track in front of you.
      “The correct call would have probably been taking it very conservative and pitting when everybody pitted for the intermediate, coming out behind Perez, probably behind Leclerc and then fighting with them on-track for P3.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “DNFing and losing all the points, that’s obviously catastrophic. We would have been caught up by Leclerc and Perez anyway if we had tried to stay out, so that wouldn’t have worked.”
      The result means that Hamilton cannot afford to slip up again in the remaining six races, with his next opportunity to win points back coming in Austin, Texas at the US Grand Prix in two weeks.
      Mercedes remain first in the Constructor Standings, however, thanks to a superb race from Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who won his first Grand Prix of the season in Istanbul.
      Bottas’ win in the Turkish Grand Prix was his tenth race victory in F1Credit: Splash
      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      Lewis Hamilton defends his ‘f***’ bomb rant after Mercedes pit gaffe and says it was ‘passionate and heat of moment’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has defended his outburst over the radio to his Mercedes team during the Turkish GP – saying it was “passionate” and “in the heat of the moment”.The seven time world champ lost his grip at the top of the championship after a late precautionary pitstop in Istanbul dropped him from third to finish in fifth place.
      Hamilton is now six points behind championship rival Max Verstappen in the F1 leaderboardCredit: Reuters
      Hamilton took to Instagram to explain his explicit language over the radio
      Max Verstappen regained top spot in the title race with his second-place finish while Hamilton was adamant he should have stayed out and not pitted in the vain hope of finishing in third.
      There were a series of angry messages played out over the airways, as the 36-year-old claimed his decision was the right one.
      But after the dust settled and a debrief on the flight home with Merc boss Toto Wolff, Hamilton took to social media to play-down the flashpoint and says he is not angry at his team.
      He wrote on Instagram: “I’ve seen some of the press this morning which has made a bit too much of the incident in yesterday’s race of when to pit.
      “It isn’t true to say I’m furious with my team.
      “As a team we work hard to build the best strategy possible but as the race progresses you have to make split decisions there are so many factors constantly changing.

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      “Yesterday we took the risk to stay out hoping it would dry, it didn’t.
      “I wanted to risk it and try and go to the end, but it was my call to stay out and it didn’t work.
      “In the end we did pit and it was the safest thing to do.
      “We live and we learn. We win and we lose as a team. Don’t ever expect me to be all polite and calm on the radio when I’m racing, we are all very passionate and in the heat of the moment that passion can come out, as it does for all drivers.
      “My heart and spirit are out there on the track, it’s the fire in me that’s got me this far but any angst is quickly forgotten and we talked it through, already looking ahead to the next race.
      “Today’s another day to rise and as a team (sic). Still we Rise.”
      The last time Hamilton raced at the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul was when he clinched his seventh World Championship title back in November 2020Credit: PA
      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      ‘Don’t worry, I’ll smash him’ – Red Bull F1 chief Christian Horner reveals what Tyson Fury messaged him before Wilder KO

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      RED Bull chief Christian Horner has revealed his unlikely friendship with heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Horner, who has managed Red Bull since 2005, even texted Fury good luck before his trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder.
      Christian Horner revealed his unlikely friendship with heavyweight Tyson FuryCredit: Getty
      Deontay Wilder was knocked out by Tyson FuryCredit: AFP
      And the Gypsy King reassured the racing boss – who was celebrating twice this weekend following the Turkish GP – that he would do a number on American rival Wilder.
      Reported by the Daily Mail, Fury told Horner: “Don’t worry, I’m gonna smash him.”
      His prediction came true, but only after 11 sensational rounds in Las Vegas.
      Fury, 33, dropped Wilder, 35, in the fourth and looked on the road to an easy night’s work.
      But in the following round disaster struck as he was twice put down and left fighting to keep his belt.
      Fury soon regained control and in the tenth dropped Wilder, signalling the beginning of the end.

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      It was a round later that he got the job done for good after a brutal right hand closed the show and settled their trilogy series once and for all.
      Fury enjoyed a post-fight afterparty in Sin City with his family and friends but will soon return home to Lancashire.
      He knows his next fight will be the winner of Dillian Whyte, 33, versus Otto Wallin, 30, at the end of the month.
      And Fury’s UK promoter Frank Warren wants a British return for the champ, whose last five fights over three years have all been Stateside.
      Warren said: “I would love that homecoming more than anything, the British fans and everything. Can you imagine it?
      “Tyson sells out any stadium in Britain, easy. The fans will come out for him. He deserves that hero’s homecoming now.”
      Tyson Fury says he feels sorry for his opponents and roars ‘I’m the best fighter of my generation’ after Wilder win More

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      ‘F*** we shouldn’t have pitted!’ – Hamilton blasts Mercedes team after Turkish GP gaffe sees Verstappen top F1 standings

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      LEWIS HAMILTON blasted his Mercedes team after they blew his chance of a podium in Turkey and fears it could wreck his championship.Hamilton could not hide his frustration as Max Verstappen retook the lead in the title race and opened up a six-point lead over the Brit.
      Lewis Hamilton with Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the Formula One Group, ahead of the race
      Max Verstappen claimed second spot to take a six-point Championship lead over Hamilton
      Verstappen was second behind Valtteri Bottas, who won his first race in over a YEAR, while Hamilton had to settle for fifth after being called in for a late pitstop.
      Unhappy Hamilton said the strategy call cost him third place and that he should have ignored the team’s call to pit for new tyres.
      He said: “I feel like I should have stayed out. My gut feeling was to stay and I feel that’s what I should have done.
      “I am frustrated with myself. I lost a few points, but that’s life.”
      Hamilton was quizzed if Merc’s decision-making could impact on his chances of winning a record eighth world title.
      He added: “Time will tell. If I would have stayed out, you don’t know if I would have held the position, but I am a risk-taker so I would have taken that risk.

      Valterri Bottas secured his first win in over a year
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      “We started 11th, we have a new engine and we scored points, so it was not a big loss.
      “When you look at the last race, [when Verstappen took an engine penalty in Russia, he lost seven points.
      “I lost eight [in Turley], so I have to work hard not to drop any more points.”
      The flashpoint happened over the final laps of their otherwise dreary race when Mercedes called Hamilton in for new intermediate tyres.
      The world champion had benefited so handsomely in Sochi when Mercedes pulled a blinder to call him in for wet tyres while race-leader Lando Norris gambled on slicks.
      On that occasion, the heavens opened, Norris spun off and Hamilton was able to snap up a win that had looked unlikely.
      However, in Istanbul on a damp track, he quizzed their decision to call him in for new intermediate tyres on lap 43.
      Hamilton was told to pit to which he replied “Why?”. His race engineer said: “New inters are the way to go.”
      But Hamilton replied: “I don’t think it is, man” before later adding “It feels like we should stay out”.
      Based on his feedback, Merc kept him out and as Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez pitted, Hamilton looked on for a third-place finish – should he make it to the end of the race on the same set of tyres he started with.
      But as the damp track dried, it took its toll on his intermediate tyre, which was quickly worn down close to the canvas.
      Fearing a tyre failure, Merc eventually called him in on lap 51 with eight laps remaining for a new set of intermediates.
      Hamilton obliged but hit the roof once he learned that in doing his stop, he lost two places – back to Perez and Leclerc and with it a total of five championship points.
      He fumed over the radio: “F*** man! Why did we give up that space? We should not have come in man. I told you!”
      Hamilton was frustrated. Despite starting in 11th owing to an engine penalty, he was confident of a podium finish to limit Verstappen from storming ahead in the title race with six Grand Prix’s remaining.
      He later added: “I think probably in hindsight I should have either stayed out or come in much earlier.
      “It felt good to be in third and I thought if I could just hold on to this, it’s a great result from 11th. Fifth is worse, but it could be worse.”
      Asked if he believed the tyres could have lasted the distance, somewhat tellingly Hamilton replied “[Esteban] Ocon’s did”.
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff defended the team’s decision to call Hamilton in for new tyres through fear of them exploding before the end of the race.
      However, he admits that the team’s initial plan – to call him in earlier – was probably the right call.
      He said: “The intermediate looked really scary but we thought we could maybe hang out and finish third without stopping or if a dry line appeared we could stop and take a soft tyre.
      “We balanced between pitting or taking a gamble. The correct call would have been taking it conservative and pitting when everybody pitted for intermediates and fighting on track for P3.
      “We have never had any problems and we have plenty of time to debate it, but it is clear, when you are in the car you have a limited amount of information.”
      Pirelli chief Mario Isola said that Hamilton’s call to stay out would have been the wrong one.
      The tyre boss said: “Looking at the tyres after the race I would say no or it would have very much been on the limit….really really at the limit. A very risky move.” More

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      F1 Turkish Grand Prix LIVE RESULT: Hamilton 5th after Mercedes make him pit in blunder as Bottas fends off Verstappen

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      VALTTERI BOTTAS has claimed victory in the Turkish Grand Prix after holding off Max Verstappen.But it hasn’t been such a happy story for Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
      The Brit looked like he may be able to battle from eleventh place to an unlikely podium before his team asked him to pit against his will.
      That stop saw him lose places to Sebastian Perez and Charles Leclerc, which he was unable to regain.
      Follow all the action with our live blog below…
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      VERSTAPPEN READY FOR WHAT’S TO COME
      🗣️ “It’s been close the whole year and I’m pretty sure again in Austin it will be a good battle with Mercedes”Max Verstappen on the fight for the F1 Championship, after P2 in Turkey 🇹🇷Race report over at #SkyF1 👇— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) October 10, 2021

      FULL RACE RESULTS

      VERSTAPPEN TAKES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

      BOTTAS WINS

      BOT TOP
      Bottas’ last win came over a year ago in the Russian GP.
      He has now won his 10th in his F1 career, and he believes his performance was one of his best.
      He said: “It’s been a while. It feels good. From my side, that’s one of the best races I’ve had.
      “It’s not easy to choose the strategy here in these conditions. It feels like a well-earned victory.”
      VALTTERI BOTTAS WINS THE TURKISH GP
      Verstappen is second. Perez is third. Leclerc is fourth and Hamilton is down in fifth.
      Good results all round for Red Bull, as Verstappen has a six point lead in the championship.

      FINAL LAP
      Bottas is on his way to his 10th win in F1. His first since Russia last year.
      HAMILTON NOW UNDER PRESSURE FROM GASLY
      He is struggling with those new tyres. Gasly meanwhile is flying. He could pass the world champion here.
      HAMILTON IS FURIOUS
      He’s discovered he dropped from third to fifth following that pitstop. He is now closing in on Leclerc, who is struggling for grip.

      LAP 52
      Perez has now passed Leclerc and moves into the podium places.
      LAP 51 HAMILTON PITS FOR TYRES
      He has gone for a new set of intermediate tyres. He has now dropped to fifth and behind Perez.
      Hamilton was incredibly relaxed about the decision but with the threat of rain, perhaps Merc could not risk keeping him out.
      LAP 50 HAMILTON ASKED ABOUT HIS TYRES
      He says: “I am sliding around, but it’s ok.” He’s still on the same set of tyres he stated the race on.
      LAP 47
      Bottas regains the lead as he is on the new set of intermediate tyres. He passes Leclerc into Turn One. Good move from Bottas.

      LAP 46
      Slow burner this race, but it is about to get pretty exciting. Hamilton is still on the same set of intermediate tyres.
      LAP 44
      Leclerc, Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton; that’s you top four. Bottas and Verstappen have stopped for new tyres.
      LAP 42 HAMILTON QUESTIONS HIS TEAM’S CHOICE ON TYRES
      The team have a new set of intermediate tyres ready, but he says he is not so sure.
      His team are back in the garage while they re-assess the conditions.
      Mercedes: “Box box, box box” Hamilton: “Why?” Mercedes: “New inter is the way to go” Hamilton: “I don’t think it is, man”
      PEREZ ALSO STOPS
      The Mexican is in for tyres and Hamilton is now in fourth.
      LAP 38
      Bottas now stops he has opted for a new set of intermediates. Leclerc leads the race, but has yet to stop.

      LAP 37
      Verstappen pits from P2. It is a good stop. Very quick. 2.1 seconds. He is back out on track.
      LAP 35
      Fantastic wheel to wheel action from Hamilton and Perez. Both kept it clean. It looked as thought Hamilton had the move done, but he fought back and held his time into Turn One.
      The Mexican retains his position and stays in fourth and crucially holds up Hamilton for his teammate.
      LAP 33
      Hamilton is now under a second off Perez. Crucially that means he is DRS distance.
      LAP 29
      Good fight between Vettel and Ocon for 10th place. The Aston Martin man remains ahead.

      HAMILTON REPORTS THAT HE IS LOSING GRIP
      He radios the team saying: “Grip is starting to drop a little bit. Still no dry line. Exit of 8 only.”
      LAP 26 – CRUCIAL PART OF THE RACE
      The pitstop window is open as we approach this halfway stage of the race. Bottas leads Verstappen.
      Leclerc, Perez, Hamilton is the top five.
      BOTTAS HAS A MOMENT
      It was looking easy for the Finn up front, but perhaps it is not that straight-forward in the conditions.

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      Bottas denies Verstappen win with Hamilton finishing fifth at the Turkish Grand Prix to limit damage after grid penalty

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      LEWIS HAMILTON battled back from 11th on the grid to finish fifth on a day of damage limitation for the world champion at the Turkish Grand Prix.The Brit’s Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas took the chequered flag with Red Bull stars Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in second and third respectively on a wet afternoon in Istanbul.
      Lewis Hamilton overcame a 10-place grid penalty to finish fifth at the Turkish GPCredit: Alamy
      His Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas won the race on the soaked Istanbul trackCredit: Reuters
      And Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez completed the podium in second and thirdCredit: Getty

      Hamilton clocked the fastest time during Saturday’s qualifying but his fourth engine change of the season saw him given a 10-place grid penalty.
      He had clawed back two places within the first three laps and continued to make his way through the field until he was fifth by lap 28.
      An exhilarating tussle with Perez at the end of lap 34 had hearts in mouths.
      But the Brit could not quite wrestle fourth place off the Mexican who said on his team radio: “He pushed me off.”
      Hamilton later had several tense radio exchanges of his own when arguing over when his team called him in for a tire change.
      Mercedes eventually called him in on lap 51 of 58 and he dropped from third to fifth.

      Hamilton closed the race out in a relatively hassle-free fashion but was not pleased with his colleagues as he grumbled about graining on his tyres.
      Verstappen leap-frogged Hamilton into first place in the Drivers’ Championship with the gap now six points.
      Fernando Alonso started fifth but span on the first corner after contact with Pierre Gasly as the drivers battled through walls of spray on the soaked track.
      But fortunately for the Spaniard, he avoided contact with any other cars and was able to get back on track – albeit 14 places back.
      Sebastian Vettel had a scare on his way into the pit on lap 39 when his brakes locked up but the German avoided a smash into the barrier.
      Hamilton’s fellow Brits had mixed afternoons.
      Lando Norris finished seventh in his McLaren while George Russell only managed to drag his Williams to 15th place.
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      More to follow…
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      Red Bull reveal new one-off livery for Turkish GP with special ‘thank you’ message to outgoing engine partner Honda More