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The years of waiting are finally over for Turkish fans as Formula 1 officially returns to Turkey. The Turkish presidency announced on Friday that Istanbul Park had signed a long-term deal to host the Turkish Grand Prix for at least five years, starting in the 2027 season.
While the final fine print is still under wraps, the homecoming will be officially announced Friday afternoon. President Tayyip Erdogan will headline the launch event in Istanbul alongside Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem to usher in this new era of Turkish motorsport.
Formula 1 İstanbul’a geliyor.
Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan, Dolmabahçe Çalışma Ofisi’nde düzenlenecek Türkiye GP Tanıtım Programı’na katılacak. pic.twitter.com/GspCQgBe0H
— SON LAİK BÜKÜCÜ 🇹🇷 (@TheLaikYobaz) April 24, 2026
The track on Istanbul’s Asian side is popular for its high-speed Turn 8 and challenging elevation changes and has not seen F1 use since its use in 2021 as a replacement during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The track has legendary status in the history of the sport, having successfully run from 2005 to 2011 and serving as the backdrop for Lewis Hamilton’s historic seventh world title victory in 2020. Now, after years on the sidelines, the “Turkish delight” of the racing world is ready to take its permanent place back on the grid.
While Turkey continued negotiations to return to the calendar after that event, momentum slowed starting in 2022, in part because of the tens of millions of dollars needed to complete a deal that rivals like Qatar could finance.
The first Turkish Grand Prix 2005 took place on August 21st.
Kimi Räikkönen vs. Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella fight at the Istanbul Park Circuit. #F1 pic.twitter.com/lLqtTNviRT
— Paul McGinnes (@PaulMcG1992) March 26, 2026
But in 2024, Can Bilim Egitim Kurumlari AS, part-owned by F1 tire supplier Pirelli’s Turkish branch chairman Lale Cander, acquired the rights to operate the Istanbul Park circuit for a period of 30 years for around $117.8 million.
As part of the deal, the new operators were tasked with bringing Formula 1 back by 2026 in a long-term deal, but discussions were held jointly with the Turkish automotive industry sport Federation (TOSFED), stalled.
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In February Domenicali confirmed that Istanbul Park is about to return to the calendar with an existing race and that the number of races in the season remains limited to 24.
(With inputs from Reuters)
