Istanbul Park event to take over Singapore's October 1-3 slot on the calendar, recreating triple header with Russia before and Japan afterwards
Friday 25 June 2021 11:30, UK
The Turkish GP at Istanbul Park has returned to the 2021 Formula 1 calendar in place of the cancelled Singapore event on October 3.
The event will form the middle leg of a triple header between the Russian GP (September 26) and the Japanese GP (October 10).
This is the second time that Turkey has been added to the 2021 schedule. It was briefly inserted as a replacement for Canada in June but was quickly removed after the country was added to the government's travel red list.
But, as part of the revised scheduling will see the race take place in October, F1 is understood to be confident the required quarantine period would have elapsed by the time the sport returns from the following event in Japan a week later.
Turkey had been kept on standby by F1 to fill any subsequent gaps on the calendar later in the year amid a global situation that remains ever-changing.
"We are delighted to be coming back to Turkey to Intercity Istanbul Park circuit," said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
"We hope to see another fantastic race again in one of the best tracks in the world. We want to thank the Intercity Istanbul Park management and Mr. Vural Ak for his personal efforts to make this event to happen.
"We have shown that we can continue to adapt and there is huge interest in our sport and the hope from many locations to have a Grand Prix. We have had very good conversations with all the other promoters since the start of the year and continue to work closely with them during this period."
Istanbul Park quickly proved one of F1's most popular circuits when it originally joined the calendar in 2005 but was dropped from the schedule a decade ago on cost grounds.
But it made a return last November as the 2020 schedule was heavily revised due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event, which took place in wet conditions, proved one of the most dramatic of the whole season and was the scene of Lewis Hamilton's record-equalling seventh world championship triumph.
Sky F1's Martin Brundle said: "Losing Singapore and gaining Turkey is like losing your last Rolo and then finding out you've got another bar of chocolate.
"I love the Singapore event and I'm really sad we're not going back there, such an atmosphere, and an enthralling track under the floodlights. But the Turkish GP on that track, it's such a shame it hasn't been a regular on the calendar."
