When will F1 return to Turkey?
The question that motorsport fans in Turkey have been asking for years; when will Formula 1 return to Turkey? After 12 years without a permanent place on the calendar, an important process begins next week for Istanbul Park. The tender that will determine the 30-year operator of the track will be held on April 2.
Turkey is dreaming of Formula 1 again. Istanbul, which was able to enter the calendar for 2 years during the pandemic process after its farewell in 2012, is at a critical bend for a permanent return to Formula 1.
TENDER NEXT WEEK
The General Directorate of Foundations will hold a tender next week for the 30-year operating rights of Istanbul Park, where races are organized.
On April 2, the most prominent item of the tender is the contractor’s guarantee of participation in the Formula 1 calendar.
THE CLOSEST DATE IS 2026
TOSFED, which will compete with the current operator Intercity in the tender, is ambitious for this goal.
2026 seems to be the closest date at the moment. Seven countries expire in 2026.
Eren Üçlertoprağı, President of the Automobile Sports Federation, told NTV about the 2026 target for the Turkish Grand Prix.
President Üçlertoprağı said, “As a country, we know that we want to be in the country with both Formula 1 and FIA in the bilateral meetings we have held. Because Turkey has 85 million people, its geopolitical situation, most teams have factories here and make serious sales. At the end of the day, F1 is a marketing activity as much as it is a sport. They always want to come here. Therefore, the first target, the closest target is 2026. For this, of course, negotiations need to start immediately. That is why the Ministry of Tourism has set a deadline of 1 month in the tender specifications. It seems like an achievable period for us.”
Thinking that a new era will be entered with the critical tender, Üçlertoprağı said, “I think we will move from a dark era to a bright era, both in terms of athletes and our people who will have access to this place. And hopefully, with the arrival of Formula 1, I think it will be a project with a win-win formula in terms of bringing the very qualified F1 audience in our country back to this sport.”
MADRID IS THE FIRST CITY ON THE CALENDAR FOR THE 2026 SEASON
Madrid is the first city to book its entry into the Formula 1 calendar for the 2026 season.
The Spanish capital has agreed with the organizers for a 9-year contract that will run until 2035.
