ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish Grand Prix is back on the Formula 1 calendar next season for the first time since 2021, on an initial five-year agreement.
After an initial announcement Friday by the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, there was confirmation from F1 and its governing body, as Yuki Tsunoda sped along a major road through central Istanbul in a Red Bull car toward the Dolmabahce palace on the Bosphorus.
“In recent years we strengthened our position as being one of the islands of stability in the region and it is also a great signal that we are appreciated as a trustworthy country and our hospitality is also appreciated by the world," Erdogan said outside the palace.
Erdogan said the deal would be for “at least five years”.
The Istanbul Park circuit outside the city first hosted F1 from 2005 through 2011, and next year's race would be the first since Turkey returned to the calendar in 2020 and 2021 during disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Valtteri Bottas won the most recent race for Mercedes.
“Many memorable moments have been made in our sport’s history at Istanbul Park and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of our partnership, giving fans the opportunity to experience even more incredible racing in a truly fantastic location,” Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said.
The news comes after the Iran war caused widespread disruption to sports in the region and forced F1 to call off races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this month.
That left a large gap in this year’s schedule. The Miami Grand Prix next week will be the first F1 race since the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29.
F1’s return to Istanbul had been widely expected since Domenicali said in February that it was a candidate to return.
He added venues like Istanbul Park and the Portimão circuit, which will host the returning Portuguese Grand Prix next year, show F1 is not focusing too much on street races in glamorous locations.
Those can be some of F1's most lucrative events, like the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but are generally less popular with drivers than purpose-built race tracks.
“Turkey is not 100% confirmed. Stay tuned on Turkey, let me put it this way,” Domenicali said at the time. “This is also to answer to the people that were saying there were too many street races. The new ones that are coming are tracks, not street races.”
The return of Turkey and Portugal next year will come as the Dutch Grand Prix, four-time champion Max Verstappen's home race, leaves the schedule after six years. The Belgian Grand Prix and the second Spanish race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host in alternate years from 2027, freeing up another slot.
F1 estimated Friday it has 19 million fans in Turkey, and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem called the race's return “a powerful reflection of the continued global growth and appeal of our sport.”
The Istanbul Park track was generally popular with drivers and its long, high-speed turn eight was often ranked as one of the most challenging corners in the world.
Felipe Massa is the most successful driver at the Turkish Grand Prix with three wins in a row for Ferrari from 2006 through 2008, while Lewis Hamilton has won the race twice.
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The Associated Press
