Turkish GP: Istanbul Park to return to F1 calendar from 2027 on new five-year deal
The Turkish Grand Prix will return next year after Formula 1 and Istanbul Park agreed a new contract that will see the race take place until at least 2031; Formula 1 returns with a Sprint weekend in Miami on May 1-3, live on Sky Sports F1
Friday 24 April 2026 13:43, UK
Turkey will return to the Formula 1 calendar from 2027 on a new five-year deal.
Istanbul Park last staged the Turkish Grand Prix in 2020 and 2021 when F1's schedule was reshuffled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It joins Portugal's Portimao as a returning track to next year's calendar. The additions come with the Dutch Grand Prix not taking place after this season, while Barcelona and Spa-Francorchamps will rotate and become biannual races.
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F1 president Stefano Domenicali said: "We are delighted to be returning to the incredible and vibrant city of Istanbul from 2027 to thrill all our fans in Turkey and around the world on one of the most exciting and challenging circuits in Formula 1.
"As a city, Istanbul represents a cultural gateway between Europe and Asia, offering a unique blend of history and tradition with a forward-thinking approach to sport, business, and entertainment."
Istanbul first joined the F1 calendar in 2005 and become known its long Turn 8, a series of high-speed left-hand corners that are treated as one, which also tests the drivers' necks due to the high g-forces.
Felipe Massa won three Turkish Grands Prix in a row between 2006 and 2008 and it was also the venue where Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber collided in 2010.
The track fell off the calendar after 2011 but returned in 2020 as part of the revised schedule and Lewis Hamilton famously won a record-equalling seventh world title after a chaotic rain-affected race.
The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix was also impacted by wet weather and saw Valtteri Bottas claim his most recent victory in F1.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "I regard Turkey's return to the Formula 1 calendar as a clear reflection of the strong confidence placed in our country - in our robust organisational capacity; in our modern sports and healthcare infrastructure, and, of course, in the renowned hospitality of the Turkish Nation.
"As Turkey, we will once again fulfil this trust by delivering a flawless organisation in every respect, just as we have done in the past."
Will any new tracks join future F1 calendars?
The announcement of Turkey re-joining the F1 schedule means 24 tracks now have contracts for 2027. The last three F1 calendars, including this year's original schedule, have featured 24 rounds so the earliest any new events would join the calendar is 2028.
Thailand's Bangkok and a race in Africa have been mooted as potential new destinations for F1 but neither have yet to come to fruition.
Africa last staged a Grand Prix in 1993 in Kyalami, South Africa but plans for that event to return to the schedule in recent years have not materialised. F1 president Stefano Domenicali also held talks with Rwandan representatives in 2024 to host a future Grand Prix in Kigali.
Last month, Hamilton revealed his intention to continue in Formula 1 until there is a Grand Prix in Africa and says he's been pushing F1's bosses for at least the last seven years to have a round in Africa, having visited 10 countries on the continent.
"I don't want to leave the sport without having a Grand Prix there, without getting to race there, so I'm chasing them: when is it going to be?" he said.
"They're setting certain dates, I'm like, 'damn, I could be running out of time', so I'm going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I'm half African."
The Ferrari driver added: "There's one on every other continent, why not Africa? I know they're really trying. I think they've been to quite a few different countries.
"The ones that I've enjoyed the most: I loved Kenya. I don't think we're going to have a Grand Prix in Kenya, but Rwanda particularly was spectacular. Two places I felt like I could live. South Africa is stunning. I think those are the ones I think would be good places for us to potentially go to."
Formula 1 returns on May 1-3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season's second Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime
