Daniel Ricciardo has had a difficult day in the Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix, as race winner Lewis Hamilton was crowned as FIA Formula 1 World Champion for the seventh time in his career.
In what was a tough race for the drivers on the wet and slippery Istanbul track, a near faultless performance from Hamilton and smart strategy from Mercedes saw him move up five places and win his 10th race of the year.
With teammate and nearest title contender Valtteri Bottas unable to get into a points paying position, Hamilton’s win saw him build an unassailable lead at the top of the standings with three rounds to go.
With Hamilton crowned as the 2020 Formula 1 Champion-elect, the Brit now equals Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver in the sport's history.
“I’m definitely a bit lost for words,” Hamilton said post-race.
“I have to start by saying a huge thank you to all our guys here, and back at both our factories.
"I wouldn’t be able to be here if I didn’t join this team and the journey we’ve been on has been monumental. I’m so proud.
More than 20 seconds behind the now seven-time champion was the intense battle for second, as Sergio Perez secured the position ahead of Sebastian Vettel after a dramatic final few turns.
As for Ricciardo, it was an extremely tough day for the Motorsport Australia ambassador who ended up crossing the line in 10th.
Having qualified in fifth, Ricciardo started well and looked like moving up a few spots in turn one. However after making contact with teammate Esteban Ocon, he struggled to make an impact in the race and slowly dropped down the field as the race went
on.
“We made a great start today, but I was squashed in between Lewis (Hamilton) and Esteban into Turn 1, so I had nowhere to go and I clipped my team-mate which is the last thing you want to do,” Ricciardo explained.
“We lost a couple of positions from the incident and then when we switched to the intermediate tyres and we just couldn’t make them last.
“There were moments during the race when I was told I was one of the fastest out there, then just a few laps later my tyres were completely gone, so it was all a bit of a lottery.”
As a result of his result, Ricciardo now sits sixth in the outright standings, trailing Perez and Carlos Sainz, who finished fifth, by four points.
The FIA Formula 1 World Championship next heads to the Bahrain International Circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix on 30 November.