When is Formula 1 coming to Turkey? TOSFED President explains

Turkey aims to be included in the Formula 1 calendar once again. The General Directorate of Foundations will hold a tender next week for the 30-year operating rights of Istanbul Park, where the races are held.

The prominent clause in the tender on April 2 is the requirement for the contractor to guarantee participation in the Formula 1 calendar.

THE NEAREST DATE IS 2026

TOSFED, which will compete against the current operator Intercity in the tender, is ambitious about this goal. It was stated that 2026 currently appears to be the nearest date. It was noted that the contracts for 7 countries will expire in 2026.

Automobile Sports Federation President Eren Üçlertoprağı explained the 2026 target for the Turkish Grand Prix to NTV.

President Üçlertoprağı said, "As a country, we know that in our bilateral meetings, both Formula 1 and the FIA want to be in the country. Because Turkey, with its structure of 85 million people, its geopolitical situation, the fact that most teams have factories here and make significant sales, is important. At the end of the day, F1 is as much a marketing activity as it is a sport. They always want to come here. Therefore, the first target, the nearest target, is 2026. For this, of course, negotiations must begin urgently. It must be for this reason that our Ministry of Tourism has foreseen a 1-month period in the tender specifications. It seems like an achievable period for us."

WE WILL ENTER A BRIGHT ERA

Thinking that a new era will begin with the critical tender, Üçlertoprağı said, "I think we will transition from a dark age to a bright age. Both in terms of athletes and for our people who will have access here. And hopefully, with the arrival of Formula 1, I think it will be a win-win project in terms of our country's highly qualified F1 audience reuniting with this sport."