Turkey has secured Formula 1’s return to Istanbul Park from 2027, signing a guaranteed five-year deal that officials say could reshape the city’s standing as a premium global tourism destination.
The agreement was confirmed following a launch event at the Dolmabahçe Working Office attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alongside Formula 1’s chief executive and the president of the FIA. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the deal at a press conference held at Istanbul Park.
Ersoy framed the agreement as far more than a motorsport contract. Formula 1’s 2025 season reached more than 827 million television viewers across 180-plus countries and drew more than 6.7 million spectators to circuits around the world. The series’ official social media accounts count more than 114 million followers, with total engagement surpassing 2.3 billion interactions in 2025, a figure Ersoy said exceeded that of both the UEFA Champions League and the NBA.
“Istanbul Park has been included in the Formula 1 calendar for at least five years starting from 2027,” said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism.
Pointing to Singapore as a model, Ersoy highlighted data showing that wealthy visitors who make up 30 percent of race-week arrivals account for more than 40 percent of total spending. He argued that Istanbul’s historical, cultural and geographical assets position the city to convert Formula 1’s so-called leverage effect into significant economic value.
“We must channel Formula 1’s leverage effect into Istanbul and use our city’s potential to take that effect to the highest level. Formula 1 brings quality tourists, it brings affluent visitors,” said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Turkey’s Tourism Promotion and Development Agency will lead a global campaign positioning Istanbul as the world’s only Formula 1 city spanning two continents. Ersoy said targeted communications directed at priority markets across Europe, Asia and the Americas would begin immediately, with Istanbul promoted as a destination that bridges east and west.
The Turkish Travel Agencies Association welcomed the announcement. “Events of this kind boost tourism activity at the host destination not just during the race weekend but long after it as well. Our country’s return to the Formula 1 calendar is a very important indicator of the international confidence shown in Turkey,” said Firuz Bağlıkaya, President, Turkish Travel Agencies Association.
Sinan Öncel, president of the United Brands Association, also backed the return. “Formula 1 is a globally branded event. I see its return to Istanbul after a long absence as a multidimensional opportunity for tourism, retail and the country’s image,” said Sinan Öncel, President, United Brands Association.
The 2027 Turkish Grand Prix forms part of a broader calendar of international events Turkey is pursuing. The country is also set to host the UEFA Europa League Final, the FIVB Women’s Nations League and the CEV Women’s European Championship, while bids for the 2027 European Games, the 2032 UEFA European Championship and the 2036 Olympic Games remain active.
