Hamilton: Fantastic Istanbul track spoilt by S*** tarmac!

©Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton says the resurfaced tarmac of Istanbul Park has made the fantastic venue a "terrifying" proposition for drivers.

Hamilton concluded Friday afternoon's practice session fourth in the pecking order, 0.850s adrift from pace-setter Max Verstappen.

The field significantly improved its times in FP2 relative to the morning session, but grip remained at a premium for drivers who struggled in the cool conditions but especially with the track surface.

Hamilton didn't hold back his criticism of Istanbul Park's tarmac whose characteristics he says are even worse than those of Portimão.

"It was a bit of a disaster today to be honest," Hamilton said.

"This track is such a fantastic circuit and I really don’t fully understand when they spend millions to resurface a track.

"I know it’s been sitting around for some time but they could have just cleaned it maybe, instead of wasting all the money.

"Now the track is worse than Portimao was when we had the brand-new surface there. So for us at least, the tyres aren’t working.

"You can see it, it’s like an ice rink out there and so you don’t get the enjoying of the lap as you normally would at Istanbul and I don’t see that changing."

Turkish Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

Hamilton said the track surface's precarious nature almost feels like running on a wet track.

"It’s almost like there’s wet patches all over because you are on slicks, accelerating and it just goes so fast," he added. "It’s because you are way, way below the temperature window.

"These tyres, they are so hard and only work in a certain window, so if you are 10 or 20 degrees below they are not working.

"For some reason this surface is so smooth, a lot of the older circuits, are a lot more open between the stones, so it works the tyre more.

"This one is super closed, flat and shiny and I guess there’s oil seeps from the tarmac. It’s s*** with a capital S."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.