The F1 calendar 2021 hasn’t been a typical one, as we head to Istanbul for the Turkish Grand Prix with the Formula 1 title battle in full swing.
Reshuffles and cancellations in response to COVID restrictions have seen the schedule bent out of shape.
Fans should have been jetting off to Japan this weekend, but instead Turkey has the honour of staging the next instalment of the Max Verstappen versus Lewis Hamilton soap opera the world is currently glued to.
Hamilton exploited the rain-soaked final few laps last time out in Sochi as race-leader Lando Norris spun out in helpless fashion in the dying stages.
Verstappen started from the back of the grid after taking a new power unit, but still clawed his way to second at the chaotic Sochi track.
Mercedes ace Hamilton takes a slender two-point lead to Turkey, but Red Bull will smell blood with a fresh engine to make the most of in the final stages of the season.
RadioTimes.com brings you the complete guide to the Turkish Grand Prix 2021 including start time, dates and TV details, as well as exclusive analysis from Sky Sports F1 commentator Crofty ahead of every race.
When is the Turkish Grand Prix?
The Turkish Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 10th October 2021.
Check out our full F1 2021 calendar for the list of dates and upcoming races.
Turkish Grand Prix start time
The race begins at 1pm on Sunday 10th October 2021.
We’ve included the full schedule for the rest of the weekend, including practice and qualifying times below.
Turkish Grand Prix schedule
Friday 8th October
From 9am on Sky Sports F1
Practice 1 – 9:30am
Practice 2 – 1pm
Saturday 9th October
From 9:45am on Sky Sports F1
Practice 3 – 10am
Qualifying – 1pm
Sunday 10th October
From 11:30am on Sky Sports F1
Race – 1pm
How to watch Turkish Grand Prix on TV
The Turkish Grand Prix will air live on Sky Sports F1.
All races will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event throughout the season.
Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £25 per month.
Live stream Turkish Grand Prix online
Existing Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the Sky Go app on a variety of devices.
You can watch the Grand Prix with a NOW Day Membership for £9.99 or a Monthly Membership for £33.99, all without signing up to a contract.
NOW can be streamed through a computer or apps found on most smart TVs, phones and consoles. NOW is also available via BT Sport.
Turkish Grand Prix preview
With Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft
Will Lando Norris’ Sochi spin affect the rest of his season?
DC: I don’t think it will [damage his season]. I think he has great support from his team, and a real inner confidence and self belief that belies his age. He’s still inexperienced compared to some of these drivers, but he has a great skill-set to fall back on. I think that McLaren will have thrown a protective arm around him and have admitted part of the problem was theirs not Lando’s. McLaren realised they could have been more explicit in their calls from the pit wall. Lando, I’m sure, will listen more intently to them in the future as well.
It’s part of the learning process. But in Turkey this weekend, I’m sure Lando won’t be suffering any ill effects from Sochi. They say form is temporary, class is permanent. Lando is displaying a lot of signs that he as a driver will be around at the front of the grid for many years to come.
Max v Lewis: who will win?
DC: Max says that if he doesn’t win, it won’t change his life, but I’m sure he realises the opportunity that he’s got now to kick on and take his first ever title. You can argue that Red Bull will be strong at the majority of tracks we go to, they might have the best car at the moment as well, plus Lewis has got an engine penalty looming. It’s inconceivable that he won’t be taking a fourth power unit of the season and the engine penalty that goes with it – it would not surprise me at all to see that happening this weekend.
There’s going to be nerves on both sides as we approach Abu Dhabi. It’s a fight between the experience of the world champion or Max on a roll in the best car currently dominating the season in terms of wins and poles, that is the magic scenario that we find ourselves in. One piece of magic, one mistake, one outstanding drive, one engine blow-up could decide everything and there are so many factors at play here.
The track?
DC: I love this track. I think it’s wonderful that we’re back racing at Istanbul Park again, it’s one of my favourite tracks to commentate on because we’ve seen some outstanding races in the past here, some very dramatic moments. It has a great mixture of corners that test the demands of the car, high-speed straights with big braking zones at the end of them and also a final sector that allows battles to carry on for a while longer, as Jenson Button proved back in 2010.
The track was resurfaced last year, it was very greasy, it wasn’t ideal for racing. They have done their best to get some of the tarmac and bitumen away to expose some of the stone to improve grip a little bit. I think it’ll be a very different surface that we’re racing on now than we did 12 months ago, but it’s just a wonderful place for racing. It should serve as a blueprint for tracks of the future. It’s got undulations as well. I love it, I think we’ll get a great race on Sunday.
If you’re looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Sport hub.