LEW: I NEED POLE
Lewis Hamilton is hoping for a Turkish delight – despite being forced to take a 10-place penalty on Sunday.
As SunSport reported earlier this week, the world champion risked being bumped to the back of the grid for taking a new powerunit in the back of his Mercedes.
F1 rules allow drivers to use three engines, plus their components, during the course of a season. Any additional parts will incur grid penalties for the grands prix.
However, Merc have only replaced the internal combustion engine (ICE) in his motor – keeping his penalties to a minimum so he can still fight Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton is now eyeing up clinching pole in qualifying on Saturday to start just outside of the top-10 before embarking on a major fightback through the field.
He said: “I have a lot of work to do on Sunday. The other drivers are going to be hard to pass. They seem to be improving more and more throughout the year.
“I need to be on pole to limit the loss and then understand the car to do the best I can and find the right balance.”