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The next season of F1 will not see Istanbul Park host the Turkish Grand Prix. The organizers owe the decision to the financial constraints the country is going through. The race was earlier removed from the record 23 race-long season after being part of the calendar for the previous two years.
It has been speculated that the financial predicament of the organizers had a part to play in the removal of the Turkish GP from the 2022 calendar. This is now clear, with a Turkish journalist, Emre Özpeynirci, reporting :
“For the 2022 race, approximately $40 million was requested from Turkey. It totals at least $48 million with other expenses. It is not possible for Intercity, the operator of Istanbul Park, to undertake this without the support of the state. In these economic conditions, the state cannot be expected to undertake.”
Some memorable moments from 2020 and 2021 F1 Turkish Grand Prix
The Turkish GP was a surprise inclusion in the 2020 F1 calendar amidst several cancelations owing to the global pandemic. The rain-struck race saw the return of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to the podium places, overtaking his teammate Charles Leclerc at the last turn. The race also saw the crowning of Lewis Hamilton as world champion, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. He was visibly emotional as he fought back tears throughout his interview, and later revealed that he failed to get out of the car on the in-lap:
“When I came across the line, it really hit me and I just burst into tears, that whole in-lap. I really just couldn’t get out of the car because I just couldn’t believe it.”
Excitement was palpable for the return to Istanbul for the 2021 F1 season. Although the race may have lacked the slipping and sliding of the previous year, it provided another intriguing, strategy-filled race. Valtteri Bottas had his first and only win of the season, restricting Max Verstappen to P2. The race also saw a brilliant defensive drive from Red Bull's Sergio Perez against Lewis Hamilton.
The race might have been damp and qualifying always faced the threat of rain, but the cars had to properly tackle what's proving to be one of Hermann Tilke's best circuit designs. The lap record set by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005 was beaten in FP1, proving how much the conditions had improved. It is unclear as to when this circuit will return to the F1 calendar, but the racing moments that it had would make for a strong case when in contention.
