PodcastTurkey back on the Formula 1 calendar
Formula One fleshed out its 2020 calendar to 17 races on Aug. 25, with Turkey back on for the first time since 2011. "We can confirm that Turkey, Bahrain (hosting two races), and Abu Dhabi will be part of the revised season and want to express our thanks to the hard work of all our promoters and partners in making this 17-race season possible," it said.
Duvar English
Formula One fleshed out its 2020 calendar to 17 races on Aug. 25, with Turkey back on for the first time since 2011.
The sport said in a statement that Turkey's Istanbul Park circuit would host a race on Nov. 15 before a Bahrain double in late November and early December and Abu Dhabi ending the season on Dec. 13 at Yas Marina.
"We can confirm that Turkey, Bahrain (hosting two races), and Abu Dhabi will be part of the revised season and want to express our thanks to the hard work of all our promoters and partners in making this 17-race season possible," it said.
BREAKING: The Turkish Grand Prix is back!
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2020
F1 will also be making two trips to Bahrain, before heading to Abu Dhabi in mid-December. #F1 pic.twitter.com/gmMjcWGiSg
Istanbul's circuit was popular with drivers if not the locals whose attendance was scarce. The only current drivers to have won there are Kimi Raikkonen, six times world champion Lewis Hamilton and four times champion Sebastian Vettel.
"It's an old-school circuit, something I was watching on TV when I was younger. [That] massive left-hander, flat-out, is going to be pretty impressive," Renault's Esteban Ocon told reporters recently.
"We are proud to announce that Turkey, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi will be part of our 2020 season," Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1, said.
On a scale of 1-10, how are your excitement levels?! ?#TurkishGP ?? #F1 https://t.co/5X0FQ5gMA6
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2020
All six grands prix held so far since the delayed season started in Austria in July have been held behind closed doors.
Formula One had confirmed only 13 races until Aug. 25, all of them in Europe after those in the Americas were cancelled, but teams and drivers now have a clear idea of how many the championship will have.
The original schedule, published before the pandemic, envisaged a record 22 races, but fixtures such as Monaco had to be cancelled and a new calendar drawn up with a mix of old favourites and new venues.
"Sadly, we will not be racing in China this season," Formula One said, adding that it looked forward to returning next year.
Bahrain's two races on Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 will be designated the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Sakhir Grand Prix, after the name of the desert circuit.
Sakhir will be the third circuit to host two races this season after Austria's Red Bull Ring and Britain's Silverstone.