A GP in Istanbul already in 2026? Ben Sulayem opens: “If Qatar collapses…”

F1 calendar still evolving In recent days, Formula 1 has officially announced the return of the Turkish GP, one of the most desired events by fans, considering the beauty of the Istanbul track. The agreement will have a duration of five years – from 2027 to 2031 – but there is the possibility of an edition also in the current World Championship to possibly take over from one of those GPs which are suspended at the moment and will remain so until the geopolitical situation in Iran and throughout the Middle East has consolidated and calmed down. F1 has renounced the dispute in April of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs: if the war in Iran continues throughout the year, the Circus would also have to cancel the events in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, with strong doubts also about the opportunity to go to Baku, which is about 250 km from the border. Liberty Media will naturally follow all developments closely, in the knowledge that it has a plan-B and a date by which to decide whether to run in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the hypothesis of Turkey’s early return has received an important opening from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The words of Ben Sulayem “On Qatar, we could postpone the event by a week. Otherwise, perhaps we could have Turkey this year, if it manages to complete the approval and satisfy the rest of the requirements”, these were the words of the Emirati in Miami. “We are consulting with the promoters, but there is a more important issue than just motoring. Sport can wait, people are always the priority: we hope that the war ends soon, so we can return to normality and not live as we are living now, with all this stress,” he added. “If the situation were to continue until October or November, we would not be able to go to those countries, because safety comes first.”

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-07 15:00:00