Pirelli to help F1 return to Turkey

Turkey has now definitively joined the large number of countries that are trying to quickly secure deals to host Formula 1 races in the near future.

The country’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, has recently confirmed that a deal is very close to completion. 

The impressive Istanbul Park held five consecutive Grands Prix in the first decade of this century but the deal was not renewed when the Turkish government decided against paying the fast-rising promoter’s fee.

But, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Formula 1 needed to find circuits that would host Grands Prix and countries that would still pay a small fee for the privilege, the track was used for another two editions of the Grand Prix, in 2020 and 2021, and those experiences seemed to have convinced Erdogan’s government of the benefits of hosting Formula 1 races.

Having been used as an extended car dealership during its lean years, Istanbul Park is now on the verge of being leased to Pirelli Turkey for a period of 10 years.

But the Italian tyre manufacturer demanded assurances from the Turkish government that there will be Formula 1 races held on the track, as that’s the way to maximise its investment and, also, to have a convenient test track for its Formula 1 tyres, that are majorly made in the country.

According to Mr Erson, the tender for the management of the Formula 1 track in Istanbul was held in early April and “was completed successfully.” And while there’s no official word on the company that guaranteed that deal, it’s widely believed Pirelli Turkey will now manage the circuit for the next decade, with the government now working to secure a long-term Grand Prix deal.

The Minister admitted that “now we have moved to the second stage,” adding that “the previous tenant must vacate and hand it over to the company that won the bid.

“In this case, the process of concluding an agreement to hold the Grand Prix in Istanbul from 2026 will proceed quickly.”

With Germany, South Korea, Thailand and other countries also vying for a place in the calendar, Stefano Domenicali’s dream of extending the Formula 1 season up to 30 Grands Prix is taking shape – but the Italian is facing resistence from the teams, as they want the current number of 24 per year to remain the limit, with at least half the circuits rotating races between them, leaving a group of 12 to 14 permanent Grands Prix in the calendar, with the others taking place every two years.

Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images

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