Turkish GP offers few delights for Daniel 

Like last year, rain in Istanbul washed away the fun factor of a fantastic circuit; unlike 2020, Daniel left Turkey without a point to show for it on a weekend to forget. 

In a Formula One season of 20-plus races and a career spanning a couple of hundred Grands Prix, there are times for Daniel to over-analyse and pick apart every decision on every lap that led to a result; last Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix was most definitely not one of those times after a compromised qualifying, an engine penalty and a sodden circuit conspired to produce a 13th-place finish.

Back on the calendar for a second straight season after being hastily added to a COVID-amended schedule in 2020, the Istanbul Park Circuit is one all the drivers love when it's dry; problem was, it was never that after Friday, with Saturday shaping Daniel's weekend.

Caught out by track conditions improving right at the death of the Q1 session, Daniel found himself on the wrong side of the elimination zone and qualified just 16th, which became 20th and last on Sunday's grid when McLaren elected to fit a new power unit to his car outside of his allocation of three for the season.

"It was definitely a throw in the bin sort of weekend," Daniel says.

"We didn't obviously come into it thinking that, but the way it panned out that was certainly the case.

"It was looking like we were probably going to have to take a new engine in Austin, so the qualifying result was a good way to cut our losses and take the hit. So, not all bad."

On a wet track too damp for slick tyres but not damp enough for full wets, Daniel made limited progress from the back of the field after the race began as the entire grid nursed their intermediate tyres to see if the weather would improve to open up a strategic option.

McLaren's struggles in long, sweeping corners – highlighted at the Dutch Grand Prix back in September – were again evident in Istanbul, and Daniel eventually became the first driver to pit for a new set of inters on lap 20, hoping to baby his fresh tyres to the finish line 38 laps later.

Making progress was a tall order in the conditions, and while he inched his way forwards from there to sit in 11th place with three laps to go, Daniel ceded spots to Alfa Romeo pair Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen on lap 56 of 58 to finish 13th and a lap down from race-winner Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes), having not spent a single lap inside the top 10.

"I got up to the back of (Lance) Stroll (in 10th place) really quick and I could see he was struggling a lot with his front tyres in the high-speed corners, and I knew (Esteban) Ocon was still out ahead of him (after not pitting) so I thought 'we could get a few points from this'," Daniel says.

"But then as soon as I got on the back of Stroll, my tyres started to die. The last 10 laps, the rears were down to the cord and I was trying to hang on. It was too late to pit by then, so there was nothing to be gained."

Daniel retained eighth place in the drivers' championship with 95 points, admitting he was disappointed the Turkish weather – again – didn't come to the party for one of the more satisfying layouts on the world championship calendar.

"Friday was awesome, the track had so much grip that it was wicked to have that," he says.

"The new surface, or what they did to the surface, was so much better. I'm sad it wasn't dry because I enjoyed the track a lot in those conditions, pushing the car. It made Friday my favourite day of the week!"

Last Sunday's race in Turkey marks the end of the European leg of the season, with the remaining six races being equally split between the Americas and the Middle East. The first of them comes in Austin for the return of the United States Grand Prix (October 24), and it's a race in a place that ranks as one of Daniel's favourites.

"Austin … I can't wait, I can't wait – I really can't wait!" grins Daniel of the venue where he's finished third on two previous visits (2014 and 2016).

"The circuit, you can race on it, you can pass – don't get me started on Austin because I love it!"