Turkish GP's long-term future in doubt

The Today's Zaman newspaper reports that Ecclestone, who took charge of the track several years ago, has given the circuit's original builder and financier the Istabul Chamber of Commerce notice that he plans to take the race off the F1 calendar after three more years.

Istanbul Park's general director Can Guclu confirmed that the race's long-term future was in doubt as other countries clamoured for dates on the F1 schedule.

"We are afraid that 2011 may be the last year of the staging of F1 in Istanbul," Guclu told Zaman.

"There is serious competition from such countries as South Africa, Russia, Bulgaria and South Korea. South Korea has a highly developed economy and they place importance on sporting events. The [football] world cup was held in there in 2002. And Russia has already started constructing a race course."

Guclu said he was concerned that negotiations had not yet begun to extend Istanbul Park's F1 deal, especially as it had originally taken four years from securing agreement with Ecclestone in 2001 to hosting the inaugural Turkish GP in 2005.

"If we want the Turkish Grand Prix to stay on the calendar, we need to start working immediately," he said.

"Or else, we cannot just begin negotiating for the race in the last year of the contract.

"We made a deal with Ecclestone in 2003 and the first race was organised in 2005. As you see, there is a four-year process in order to be included in the calendar.

"There is still nothing about extending the deal and no demand from either side."