Turkish Grand Prix Returns to F1 Calendar

Formula 1 has announced that the Turkish Grand Prix will return to the calendar from 2027 onwards, with Istanbul Park signing a five-year contract.

The Turkish Grand Prix will make a full-time return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027. The news was announced in a press conference on Friday afternoon attended by Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The event returns as part of a five-year deal.

After years of speculation, it was reported in February 2026 that an agreement had “largely” been reached for the event to make a comeback. We reported that Domenicali was coy on the return of the Turkish Grand Prix, saying “stay tuned on Turkey, let me put it this way”.

The 2027 Turkish Grand Prix will be the tenth edition of the event and the first held at Istanbul Park open to a full capacity crowd since 2011. The 2021 race had limited spectator numbers due to the ongoing pandemic, with three-day attendance reaching 190,000. Despite the limited capacity, that figure was still much higher than the 2011 event, where race day attendance had dwindled to only 25,000 – one fifth of the circuit’s total capacity.

Speaking about the new deal, 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.”

Turkish Grand Prix History

First held in 2006, the Turkish Grand Prix took place for six successive seasons before falling off the calendar after the 2011 event due to a dispute over hosting fees. After F1’s departure, the circuit was purchased by Turkish car rental firm Intercity.

The World Rallycross Championship visited the venue in 2014 and 2015 but these would be the last major events at the track until Formula 1 made an unexpected return to the calendar amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. It returned once more in 2021, initially in a June slot to replace the Canadian Grand Prix, before travel restrictions meant that the Istanbul race was cancelled and later reinstated to replace the Singapore Grand Prix in an October slot.

There are plenty of reasons for F1 fans to be excited about the return of the Turkish Grand Prix. The track is a modern classic, famed for its multi-apex Turn 8. Istanbul Park has been the scene of many memorable moments over its history. It was the scene of Felipe Massa’s first F1 victory in 2006, a collision between Red Bull team-mates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in 2010, and Lewis Hamilton’s record-equalling seventh title victory in 2020.

2027 F1 Season Set for 24 Races

2027 will mark the first Turkish Grand Prix in six years. It is the second track on next year’s calendar which will make its first appearance since 2021, with the Portuguese Grand Prix also set to be held for the first time in six years.

The announcement of the Turkish Grand Prix’s return means that there is now the full quota of 24 races contracted to appear on the 2027 Formula 1 calendar. While the Turkish and Portuguese Grands Prix are set to make their comebacks, the Dutch Grand Prix makes its final appearance in 2026 and the Barcelona Grand Prix misses out on a slot in 2027 as it enters into a rotational deal.

It appears that the Portuguese Grand Prix is likely to take the slot left by the Barcelona race in June, though it is less certain where the Turkish Grand Prix will land on next year’s schedule. Perhaps the most likely solution is for it to replace the Dutch Grand Prix in the late August slot which was Istanbul’s customary position when it first joined the schedule, or for it to be held around the time that F1 heads east to Azerbaijan in September.

The 2027 F1 calendar is expected to be revealed in the early European summer.