24.04.2026 17:32
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Formula 1 will be held in Turkey again starting from 2027. Erdoğan said, 'Istanbul Park, especially known for Turn 8 and one of the favorites of racing enthusiasts, will hopefully host exciting and high-quality races again for five seasons between 2027 and 2031.'
Formula 1 is returning to Turkey after many years. Istanbul Park circuit has been included in the race calendar for the next 5 years, starting from 2027.
"A SIGN OF TRUST IN THE COUNTRY"
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the Formula 1 Turkish GP Introduction Program at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office. Erdoğan said that Turkey's return to the Formula 1 calendar is an indicator of the trust placed in the country.
EXHIBITION DRIVE WITH AN F1 CAR
After the announcement that the organization would return to Turkey, the sound of a Formula 1 car echoed through the streets of Istanbul. In this context, Red Bull's reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda performed an exhibition drive on the streets of Istanbul. Tsunoda started from Galataport and traveled along the coastal road to reach the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office.
EMPHASIS ON INTENSE INTEREST IN FORMULA 1
Highlights from President Erdoğan's statements:
Dear esteemed managers of the International Automobile Federation, valuable members of the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, respected guests, I greet you with my warmest feelings and cordially.
Formula 1 ranks among the world's largest sports organizations in terms of viewing pleasure, young followers, and automotive technologies. In our country, Formula 1 has a significant number of followers, even enthusiasts, from all age groups, especially our youth. While the races reach around 19 million people in our country, they are closely followed by approximately 7.5 million followers on social media.
POINTS TO TURKEY'S FORMULA 1 HISTORY
We have hosted Formula 1 a total of 9 times: 7 races between 2005 and 2011, and 2 races during the COVID period in 2020 and 2021. The first race in 2005 broke the record in the history of our Republic with over 110,000 spectators in the grandstands alone. Legendary races, unforgettable events, hard-to-break records; Istanbul Park has been etched in memory as one of the most popular circuits in Formula 1.
EMPHASIS ON ORGANIZATION DURING THE PANDEMIC
Especially during a time when the world was fighting the pandemic, people were confined to their homes, and sports events were being canceled one after another, we showed the importance we attach to this sport by opening our doors to Formula 1. Another significance of the races during the pandemic for sports fans was that Mercedes driver Hamilton at the time equaled Michael Schumacher's record of 7 F1 championships. The following year, we experienced the same enthusiasm, this time with spectators, and witnessed a highly competitive race.
MESSAGE OF RETURN FOR 2027
Looking at Turkey's history full of successes, I believe that our return to Formula 1 starting from 2027 will add great value to the championship. Especially Istanbul Park, with its Turn 8 being a favorite of racing fans, will hopefully host impressive, exciting, and highly enjoyable races for a full 5 seasons between 2027 and 2031.
INDICATOR OF TRUST IN TURKEY
I see the re-inclusion in the Formula 1 calendar as a new sign of great trust in our country's strong organizational capability, modern sports and health infrastructure, its reinforced role as an island of stability in the region in recent years, and of course the hospitality of the Turkish nation.
EMPHASIS ON FLAWLESS ORGANIZATION
As Turkey, we will not disappoint this trust, as before, and will host the races with a flawless organization in every aspect. I wholeheartedly congratulate everyone who contributed to bringing Formula 1 to our country and our Istanbul.
FUTURE VISION SHARED
I hope that Turkey's partnership with Formula 1, as a motorsports country, continues to strengthen in the coming years. I greet you once again with love and respect, and I entrust you all to Allah with the hope of meeting again. Stay well.
RACING FANS' LONGING ENDS
The longing of racing fans for the Turkish Grand Prix will end with the stage to be held next year.
Next year, the sound of F1 engines will once again rise on the 5.3-kilometer circuit in Istanbul.
The Turkish Grand Prix, which first entered the F1 calendar in 2005, was held consecutively until 2011.
Later, during the pandemic, with the cancellation of some stages, the race hosted again by Istanbul took place without spectators in 2020 and finally at half capacity in 2021.
The stages held at Istanbul Park so far, winning drivers, and their teams are as follows:
Year / Driver / Team
- 2021 Valtteri Bottas - Mercedes
- 2020 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
- 2011 Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull
- 2010 Lewis Hamilton - McLaren
- 2009 Jenson Button - Brawn GP
- 2008 Felipe Massa - Ferrari
- 2007 Felipe Massa - Ferrari
- 2006 Felipe Massa - Ferrari
- 2005 Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren
MOST SUCCESSFUL DRIVER: FELIPE MASSA
After the 9 races held so far in the Turkish Grand Prix, the most successful driver is Brazilian Felipe Massa.
Former Ferrari driver Massa climbed to the top of the podium for 3 consecutive years in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
British Lewis Hamilton left Turkey with the trophy twice, while Raikkonen, Button, Vettel, and Bottas each achieved it once.
HAMILTON ANNOUNCED HIS CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2020
British Lewis Hamilton, while sitting in the Mercedes seat, announced his championship in the 2020 race he won in Istanbul.
Hamilton, who achieved his 7th championship in Istanbul, also tied German Michael Schumacher's record for the most championships by a driver in F1 history.
Hamilton, who won in Istanbul in 2010 with McLaren, achieved victory twice in the Turkish Grand Prix.
FIRST RACE WON BY RAIKKONEN
The first Formula 1 race held in Istanbul was won by Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen, who was racing for the McLaren-Mercedes team at the time, managed to cross the finish line ahead of his rivals in the 2005 race with a time of 1 hour 24 minutes 34.454 seconds.
MASSA TOOK HIS FIRST WIN OF HIS CAREER IN ISTANBUL
Felipe Massa achieved his first career victory in 2006 in 1.
He took it in Istanbul with a time of 1:51.082.
Massa achieved his second consecutive victory at Istanbul Park in 2007 with a time of 1:26.42.161.
The former Brazilian driver won again in 2008 with a time of 1:26.49.451, securing his third victory in Istanbul.
BRITISH DRIVERS CLAIMED THREE VICTORIES
British drivers won the races in Istanbul in 2009, 2010, and 2020.
Jenson Button from Brawn GP won in 2009 with a time of 1:26.24.848.
Lewis Hamilton, driving for McLaren-Mercedes, won the 2010 race with a time of 1:28.47.620, and the 2020 stage, where he clinched the championship with Mercedes in Istanbul, with a time of 1:42.19.313.
VETTEL ALSO WON IN ISTANBUL IN 2011, THE YEAR HE BECAME CHAMPION
The race held at Istanbul Park in 2011 was won by German Sebastian Vettel with a time of 1:30.17.558.
Vettel, who was racing for Red Bull-Renault at the time and finished 2011 as champion, included Istanbul among the stages he won during his dominant Formula 1 season.
ALONSO, SCHUMACHER, AND VERSTAPPEN HAVE NO VICTORIES
Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, champion of F1 in 2005 and 2006, and seven-time world champion German Michael Schumacher never achieved a victory at Istanbul Park Circuit.
Alonso, who finished second in the first two races in Istanbul, placed third in 2007 and 2011, sixth in 2008, tenth in 2009, and eighth in 2010.
Schumacher, on the other hand, did not finish the race held in Istanbul in 2005, and took third place in 2006. The German driver, who took a break from F1 for the next three years, finished fourth in 2010 and 12th in 2011.
Four-time F1 champion Verstappen, racing for Red Bull in Istanbul, finished sixth in 2020 and second in 2021.
12 DRIVERS STEPPED ONTO THE PODIUM
In the nine races held at Istanbul Park in Formula 1, 12 drivers experienced the joy of the podium.
Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Juan Pablo Montoya, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez managed to step onto the podium at Istanbul Park.
FASTEST LAP BELONGS TO MONTOYA
Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya holds the fastest lap time at Istanbul Park.
Montoya, racing for McLaren-Mercedes, became the driver with the fastest lap time at Istanbul Park Circuit with a time of 1:24.770 on the 39th lap of the 2005 competition.