Nov.3 (GMM) This week’s events have raised the possibility Turkey could return to the F1 calendar next year.
The race has been dropped from the 2012 calendar because the Istanbul organisers and Bernie Ecclestone could not agree to a revised sanctioning fee.
But we reported in September that, given renewed uncertainty about Bahrain’s return to the calendar next year, Turkey “is on standby” for 2012.
This week, it has emerged that the inaugural US grand prix in Texas, and the Korean event, are also in doubt for 2012.
Brazilian journalist Livio Oricchio wrote in O Estado de S.Paulo: “Turkey said it could not afford to pay $26 million to FOM and therefore lost the race.
“But now, so that F1 does not have to lose so many (2012) races, it (FOM) could accept the $13 million they (Turkey) paid before.”