A tender process to take ownership of the Istanbul Park circuit could set the stage for a Turkish Grand Prix reprisal in time for the 2026 Formula 1 season, according to reports.
Istanbul made its F1 debut in 2005 and held annual races through the 2011 season.
The circuit then dropped off the calendar for financial reasons, before the complications encountered as a result of the Covid pandemic necessitated a temporary return in 2020 and 2021.
Now, Motorsport France reports that a forthcoming change of ownership will be followed swiftly by a bid to bring F1 racing back to the circuit on a more permanent basis.
Current leaseholders, Intercity, will not extend beyond the end of this year and it is understood that a tender process is being set in motion by the Turkish Motor Sports Federation to secure a new lease of 30 years for approximately €110 million.
The successful party is expected to be announced in April and as laid out in the tender process, will have a month to secure a slot on the 2026 F1 calendar.
Should the successful contract holder fail to meet this obligation, it will have to concede its lease of the Istanbul circuit and pay a financial penalty worth 25% of the contract.
The new circuit leaseholders will also be mandated to modernise the facility.
Currently, eight circuits on the F1 calendar have expiring contracts in 2025. As a result, Istanbul could foreseeably be competing for a slot on the 2026 calendar alongside Spa-Francorchamps, Monaco, Monza, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Imola, Zandvoort, Shanghai and Las Vegas, although the latter has paved the way to extend its current deal to 10 years.
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