George Russell says the lack of grip at Istanbul Park meant the Turkish Grand Prix weekend was not Formula 1.
A new track surface laid just before the event had not had time to cure, meaning the tyres were not biting into the tarmac or generating temperature, leaving drivers struggling even at low speed.
As a result, lap times even in the dry on Friday were slower than the last time F1 visited the circuit back in 2011.
And on top of that, rain on Saturday and Sunday made the problem even worse, leaving Russell less than impressed by the wild swings in performance.
“The lap time varies by two to three seconds a lap, if you get the tyres working or not – it’s unbelievable,” the Williams driver said.
“This weekend has not been really what Formula 1 is about. I’m sure the show looked great, and I’m sure I would have loved watching it from my sofa at home.
“It’s just been a lottery for everybody out there. I love driving in wet conditions, but this was just something else.”
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Russell’s comment of the spectacle being good for fans was certainly proven by the reaction on social media, as most were happy to see a change from the usual predictability as well as driver skill emphasised over car performance.
However… “If you want chaos and carnage, and drivers being made to look like idiots, there are other categories and sports out there you can go and watch,” he argued.
“Formula 1 is about the best cars, the best drivers, the best teams going to the best tracks, and showing what they can do. This weekend was not that.
“I’m sure I would have loved it from the sofa, but there’s got to be maybe a midpoint that I’m sure F1 can learn from, and we’re not just going here and rolling the dice week in, week out.”
Before the weekend, many were looking forward to the prospect of seeing Istanbul’s notorious Turn 8 be taken flat-out, as well as watching the fastest F1 cars ever take on one of Hermann Tilke’s best creations.
“I think everybody was so excited to come here, and from the very first lap in FP1, we just had absolutely no grip,” Russell said.
“The biggest factor, without a shadow for a doubt, was the new resurfacing. From what I hear and I understand, it all had to be done very last minute, and the Turkish corporation or whoever ran the race did a really good job to get everything done in time, and they were delayed by some really poor weather.
“But it was like driving on sheet ice, and actually the times I went off the track onto the old concrete, I had much more grip than I did [on the track]. The concrete apron in the pitlane, which is normally incredibly slippery compared to the track, had a hell of a lot more grip than the actual race track.
“I don’t think a single driver enjoyed these conditions.”