Does the Turkish Grand Prix deserve a permanent place on the F1 calendar?

Racing in Turkey

The circuit in Istanbul has been loved by teams, drivers and fans for years. The circuit designed by Hermann Tilke has fast corners, slow corners and long straights, but it has some unique features. The long straights are of course the highlight of the track.

In 2005 the Formula 1 came here for the first time and from 2005 till 2011 seven races were organised at the unique circuit. Especially the drivers and fans were happy here, because the races were always fun to watch and the track itself is great to race on. We hear that again now since the GP returned as an alternate in 2020 and 2021.

The Intercity Istanbul Park is a real circuit with gravel traps and not the long runoffs. The height differences also make the circuit a challenge for the drivers. Where the drivers and fans love the circuit, this is not always the case for the top of Formula 1.

Financial problems

In 2012 Bernie Ecclestone pulled the plug on the Turkish Grand Prix. He said that the organisation was not able to generate enough revenue from the event. The Turkish organization in turn said that Ecclestone simply asked for too much money.

The question is if Turkey has solved these problems in the meantime. As an interim solution, the Turkish Grand Prix was now used in 2020 and 2021, but it is uncertain if the race will also be on the calendar in 2022. Despite Liberty Media looking at history a little more than Ecclestone did in the past, the American management will also have to plug financial holes left by the coronavirus pandemic.

F1 calendar of 2022

Yet in recent years we have seen Liberty take a different approach than Ecclestone. Where the Brit chose for huge entry fees for the organisers, Liberty chooses for more races. This way they try to get more money, but there is also room for historical races like the ones in the Netherlands to exist.

The Formula 1 calendar will be presented in the near future and So far Turkey doesn't seem to be a candidate to host a race. In 2022 Miami is the extra race that will appear on the calendar and otherwise, no races will disappear compared to 2021. So Turkey only seems to have a chance if another race disappears.

Let us know in the poll and comments if you think Turkey should be on the calendar in 2022.