The Turkish Grand Prix may have been a dull, processional race but it was also a taut game of worn-tyre poker and after it ended, the players continued to try to bluff each other.
With six of the 21 rounds to race, Max Verstappen of Red Bull has retaken the lead in the drivers’ championship by six points over reigning champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
The battle has not been so close since 2016 when Hamilton edged Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by five points.
After the spray had settled, the two teams started spinning. The mental games were also internal after Hamilton ended the race blaming Mercedes tacticians for his lowly fifth place.