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ISTANBUL. — Lewis Hamilton surrendered the world championship lead despite a super drive as his Mercedes team lost the plot yesterday.

The champion finished fifth, while his rival for the title Max Verstappen was second in a Turkish Grand Prix won by Valtteri Bottas in persistent light drizzle.

It means the Briton falls six points behind with six rounds remaining, after he was needlessly brought in for fresh tyres eight laps from the end, meaning he missed out on a likely third.

That would have left him one point behind the Dutchman.

He ended the race fuming, telling his pit wall to, ‘’leave me alone, man.’’

His anger was entirely understandable. Hamilton’s race unfolded like this.

Starting 11th after an engine penalty, he moved up a place on the first lap when Fernando Alonso was tagged by Pierre Gasly and spun off at Turn One.

Lap two: Hamilton passed Sebastian Vettel at Turn 12 for ninth place.

He spent a while on the tail of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and finally overtakes him in fine style on the outside of Turn 3.

A brave move well executed on lap nine for eight.

Lap nine: he waltzed past Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll at the same place for seventh.

Lap 10: even more easily he left Lando Norris for dead.

He was 20 seconds off the lead and 15 seconds behind Verstappen. He banged in three consecutive fastest laps. Sixth.

Lap 15: he moved into fifth and whizzed past Pierre Gasly on the back straight. Now you see me, now you don’t. He scored another fastest lap.

He gradually tracked Sergio Perez and got level with the Mexican.

As Verstappen’s team-mate, he didn’t be budge for Hamilton.

Lap 34: They went wheel to wheel. Hamilton nudged ahead at Turn 12 but Perez, who was pushed off track, held it together brilliantly and kept the Brit at bay.

Superb driving.

Worth the millions, there.

Verstappen was the first of the leaders to pit. He came out ahead of Perez and Hamilton. So it soon stood as: Leclerc (no stop), Bottas (stopped), Verstappen (stopped), Perez (stopped), Hamilton (no stop).

Mercedes tried to bring Hamilton in for a new set of inters. ‘’It’s the way to go,’’ he was told.

He resisted: “I don’t think it is, man. It feels like we should stay out.’’

He díd, for then.

Ten laps to go and only Hamilton and Esteban Ocon were yet to stop.

Leclerc had by now and was down to fourth.

Ferrari’s strategy as hard to nail down as spaghetti.

It was now Bottas, Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Perez.

Would Hamilton’s tyres last? Mercedes thought not.

Lap 50: the champion, now third, was called in. Yes, just eight laps to go. He came out fifth. What on earth were Mercedes thinking?

Perez soon passed Leclerc, so the order went: Bottas, Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc and Hamilton. And so it remained.

By the way, Ocon never stopped…

Below are the rest of the race positions.

6. Gasly
7. Norris
8. Sainz
9. Ocon (the only driver to not pit)
10. Ocon
11. Giovinazzi
12. Raikkonen
13. Ricciardo
14. Tsunoda
15. Russell
16. Alonso
17. Latifi
18. Vettel
19. Schumacher
20. Mazepin — Mailonline.