Despite a superlative display in Qualifying for the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton will not be on the pole position. Instead, Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas will be at the front of the starting grid as Hamilton received a 10-place grid penalty.
Mercedes decided to change the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) in Hamilton’s power unit, and this the Brit was given an automatic demotion.
Elsewhere, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will start from the back of the grid after the Italian outfit decided on a complete change of power unit for the Spaniard.
Turkish GP 2021 – Full starting grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 4 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine |
| 6 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 9 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri |
| 10 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin |
| 11 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine |
| 13 | George Russell | Williams |
| 14 | Mick Schumacher | Haas |
| 15 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren |
| 16 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams |
| 17 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo |
| 18 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo |
| 19 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas |
| 20 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari |
Grid penalties
Lewis Hamilton = 10 place grid penalty – Additional power unit element has been used
Carlos Sainz = Required to start from the back of the starting grid – Additional power unit elements have been used
