The comeback is taking shape: It appears that the Turkish Grand Prix is about to return to the Formula 1 calendar. The Turkish presidential office announced this on Friday, but there was still no confirmation from the premier class of motorsport in the morning.
Starting next season, the race will initially take place for five years at the Istanbul Park Circuit, where Formula 1 was held between 2005 and 2011.
Even in the Corona years 2020 and 2021, Istanbul was part of the racing series’ calendar, which was hastily revised at the time.
According to “AFP”, a launch event will take place on Friday in the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. An official announcement from sports representatives can also be expected there.
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For years, the fight for places in the Formula 1 racing calendar has become increasingly fierce, which is why the premier class has introduced a rotation system for some races. For example, the routes in Spa, Belgium and in Barcelona will alternate from next year.
Türkiye wants to “permanently return to the Formula 1 calendar”
The last Formula 1 race in 2020 took place on German soil at the Nürburgring. There is fundamental interest from Hockenheim, but a return doesn’t seem imminent.
24 races were originally planned for the current season, but due to the war in the Middle East, the April events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled.
As early as 2025, Eren Üclertopragi, President of the Turkish Automobile Sports Association TOSFED, expressed interest to “Motorsport.com” in stepping in if necessary if one of the planned races on the calendar could not take place.
“The government has a strong interest in bringing Turkey back into the Formula 1 calendar permanently,” he said at the time. Now the request appears to have been successful.