Motor racing’s elite Formula 1 (F1) series is set for a return to Turkey after striking a new five-year hosting agreement with the country’s sports ministry.
F1 will return to the Istanbul Park circuit in 2027, and every year beyond that through 2031.
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TOSFED (the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation) will support the delivery. F1 claims to have over 19 million fans in the country, and 7.5 million social media followers.
Although future calendars are yet to be confirmed, the Istanbul Grand Prix will likely take place in the European swing of races, with the series already visiting neighboring Azerbaijan for the Baku Grand Prix, which itself will continue through 2030 via a renewal struck in 2025.
Istanbul Park hosted the annual Turkish Grand Prix between 2005 and 2011, after which it fell off the calendar. The race returned in 2020 and 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced race cancellations and subsequently calendar revisions, but the lack of a long-term agreement means it has not appeared since.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country's controversial president, has been one of many that has campaigned for the circuit to return to the calendar.
The number of rounds in the 2027 season will remain capped at 24 according to F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, and with Istanbul the 24th confirmed race for next season, this may close the door on other prospective race holders such as Thailand from entry unless other current hosts drop out of the calendar.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “Through this strong collaboration, we are not only securing the long-term future of Formula 1 in Turkey, but also supporting the continued development of motorsport, strengthening the foundations for sustainable growth in the years to come.”
In Turkey, F1 coverage is broadcast by international pay-TV broadcaster BeIN Sports as part of a lucrative 10-year deal that began ahead of the 2024 campaign and will run through 2033.
Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) understands that the total value of the 25-country deal, which spans the Middle East and North Africa, is over $500 million across the 10 seasons.
