Verstappen, Leclerc paid for inexperience in Turkey - Brawn
Formula 1 boss Ross Brawn believes Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc paid the price for their inexperience in the Turkish Grand Prix, and reckons the "old guard" benefitted from the tricky conditions.

Drivers struggled for grip on the fresh surface throughout Friday's dry practice sessions for the Turkish GP, running laptimes well off the expected pace.
Subsequently rain in both qualifying and the race made for extremely difficult conditions as drivers tip-toed around.
Brawn reckons the conditions favoured experience, with Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Sebastian Vettel filling the podium slots, and the likes of Verstappen and Leclerc making mistakes.
Verstappen finished down in sixth after spinning twice, while Leclerc dropped down to fourth after a mistake when battling Perez on the final lap.
"What we saw was the old guard demonstrating their experience and the young pretenders showing they have a bit more to learn," Brawn said in his column for the official F1 website.
"It was fascinating to watch Sebastian's performance this weekend, people are quick to write any type of sportsman off if they have a quiet period.
"Sunday reminded us of his deep talent. He's been a bit in the shadow of Charles this year and coming to the end of his Ferrari marriage is not easy, so I think the Turkish GP was a great day for him. He didn't put a foot wrong and was ready to pounce when an opportunity came up.
"In contrast, the younger drivers – such as Charles and Max – made mistakes. They wouldn't have experienced a race like this before.
"It was a real challenge to judge how the tyres would behave, how they would evolve and anticipating where the tyres will be in 10 or 20 laps time – this was where experience came in.
"But this will be another reference point in these young drivers' data bank. If we did another race in Turkey tomorrow, I'm sure a lot of them would approach it differently."
Brawn also countered criticism of the slippery new track surface at Istanbul Park – and says that it allowed drivers to showcase their talent "to the max."
George Russell said that they were "being made to look like idiots" on the slick surface, with tyre temperature playing a key role and some cars clearly struggling more than others to get their tyres to work.
However, Brawn insisted that the tricky conditions gave drivers a chance to demonstrate their abilities.
"The promoter and country have done a fantastic job to put the circuit in a position to host a sensational Grand Prix," he said.
Read Also:
"I appreciate drivers were not happy with overall grip levels, but it was a consequence of the late decision to race there as the calendar was revised to respond to COVID-19.
"I think drivers sometimes need to remember it's a competition of who crosses the line first, so while grip levels weren't high, it was the same for everyone.
"Some drivers got their head down and came to terms with it, others found it a distraction.
"Having a challenging surface as we had this weekend was no bad thing. It showed a driver's talent to the max. I don't think grip levels are a measure of the level of competition you will have."
Related video

Previous article
Vettel told Hamilton it was "special" to see him make history
Next article
Nissany to get another FP1 outing in Bahrain

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Turkish GP |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Verstappen, Leclerc paid for inexperience in Turkey - Brawn
Trending
Is Red Bull Hiding the Real RB16B? | F1 2021
Sergio Perez's First Drive With Red Bull Racing
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again
Ranked! Carlin's greatest F1 graduates
Carlin has helped guide enough drivers to Formula 1 to fill out an entire grid, plus a handful of reserves, to create a remarkable alumni list. With Yuki Tsunoda set to join that group, Motorsport.com has ranked its graduates to grace the grand prix scene...
Why Alfa's 2021 launch says more about its 2022 plans
Alfa Romeo launched its C41 with a revised front nose, but there's little to suggest it will surge up the leaderboard in 2021. As the team frankly admits, it's putting its eggs in the basket labelled 2022 and hoping to hold the eighth place it earned last year
Why Gasly’s AlphaTauri haven is a blessing and a curse
Red Bull opted not to re-sign Pierre Gasly even before it decided to drop Alex Albon and so the Frenchman's Formula 1 journey will continue at AlphaTauri. This has positive and negative connotations for one of last season's star performers.
Eight things Red Bull must do to beat Mercedes in 2021
After seven years of defeat at the hands of Mercedes, Red Bull is as hungry as ever to secure a fifth world championship. But there are key challenges it must overcome in 2021 to switch from challenger to conqueror
How AlphaTauri has adapted to F1's new rules
AlphaTauri launched its AT02, complete with a new livery, as it bids to home in on an already-tight midfield battle. Although there were few outright new parts displayed on the launch render, there might be a few clues into further changes down the line…