From Turkey: Istanbul to return to F1 in 2026, but government guarantee is needed
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Istanbul could return to F1
Formula 1 continues to explore new horizons but does not shy away from returning to well-established circuits that have hosted spectacular races in the past. This could be the case for Istanbul, which might rejoin the calendar in 2026. The local outlet TRF1 revealed the news.
According to some Turkish colleagues, particularly sports journalist Ilhan Tüysüz, the agreement between the GP organizers and F1 management to host the Circus again is well advanced. The only missing piece is a government guarantee, without which the agreement would fall through or be postponed. If this guarantee arrives by mid-February, we could see Istanbul back on the calendar in 2026 after five years.
Recently, Stefano Domenicali confirmed that Turkey is in contact with Liberty Media to return to Formula 1. Istanbul would likely be part of the rotation of European GPs, a system that has also prevented Spa-Francorchamps from securing a permanent spot despite its renewal until 2031.
The last Turkish GP was held in 2021: in wet conditions, Valtteri Bottas finished ahead of Max Verstappen. Interestingly, Istanbul also hosted a rain-soaked race in 2020, which secured Lewis Hamilton his seventh and, for now, last title.
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