Middle East circuits wait in wings
A Grand Prix in Bahrain? Feasable, but Turkey is also a possibility
Formula 1 could be racing in the Middle East soon, according to Bernie Ecclestone, who has told Turkish motor sport officials that if they built a track he would try to add them to the calendar.
Tobacco-friendly advertising regulations could entice the GP circus to the Middle East, but Turkey faces stiff competition for a slot on the calendar from Bahrain, Dubai and Egypt. Construction on a Hermann Tilke-designed circuit in Bahrain (pictured above) is due to begin this year.
However, Formula 1 chief Ecclestone talked up Turkey's prospects. "Turkey has a lot of potential," he was quoted as saying by state-run Anatolian news agency. Speaking after a meeting with Turkish Automobile and Motorsports Federation president Mumtaz Tahincioglu in Istanbul, Ecclestone said there was no reason why Istanbul should not host a grand prix.
"There are a lot of advantages. I don't see any disadvantages. First you just have to come up with a track. After that we can fix the calendar," he said.
There are a lot of advantages. I don't see any disadvantages. First you just have to come up with a track.
Bernie Ecclestone
There is currently no grand prix in the Middle East but Turkey is up against Dubai and Egypt as possible venues.
Turkey, a country of 65 million people that straddles the continents of Europe and Asia, is currently working to overcome an economic crisis and would dearly like the tourism boost that would come with a grand prix. Istanbul failed last year in its third bid to host the summer Olympic Games, but has said it will keep trying.
The Turkish Motorsports Federation took out a full-page advert in the January edition of 'F1 Magazine' to publicise its campaign to bring a race to Istanbul.
There is much discussion within the sport over adding new races to the calendar, with some people advocating taking a race each off Italy and Germany, which currently host two races each.
Eleven of the 17 races are in Europe, South America has just one, while Africa and the Middle East are not represented.
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