Istanbul Park

Istanbul Park was designed by Hermann Tilke on rolling terrain on Istanbul's Asian side, using four distinct ground levels to create one of the most technically demanding lap sequences of his portfolio. It opens with a sharp downhill left, known informally as the Turkish Corkscrew, before running into the circuit's signature feature: Turn 8, a fast, sweeping four-apex corner nicknamed Diabolica that generates sustained high lateral loads and is widely regarded by drivers as one of the best corners in modern circuit design. The lap continues through an uphill kink on the back straight, informally called Faux Rouge, before returning to a start/finish straight of over 650 metres.

Named corners and sections

1. 1

   Turn 8 (Diabolica).

   A fast, sweeping corner with four apexes that generates sustained high-speed cornering loads; widely praised by drivers and cited as an inspiration for similarly styled corners at other Tilke-designed circuits such as Circuit of the Americas.

2. 2

   Turn 1 (Turkish Corkscrew).

   A sharp, downhill left-hander immediately after the front straight, the first major test of the lap.

3. 3

   Faux Rouge.

   An uphill kink on the back straight, informally named after the famous Eau Rouge corner at Spa-Francorchamps.

Configurations

• Grand Prix circuit

  5.34 km

  full 14-turn F1 layout

Formula 1 raced at Istanbul Park from 2005 to 2011 and returned for two pandemic-era races in 2020 and 2021, and the Turkish Grand Prix is contracted to return to the calendar for 2027-2031. In the years without F1, the circuit has hosted a varied international and domestic calendar including World Superbike, World Touring Car and World Rallycross rounds at different points, alongside GT Grand Finals events and Turkish national racing series.

• GT Grand Finals

  GT racing

  inaugural edition 6-8 November 2026, organised by Driving Force Events (Gulf 12 Hours); first international GT meeting in Turkey for 20 years

  Annual event
  WhenNOVNovember

• Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix

  Formula 1

  held 2005-2011 and 2020-2021; contracted to return 2027-2031

  Annual event
  WhenOCTOctober (from 2027)

Istanbul Park is about 60 km from central Istanbul but only around a 10-minute drive from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport on the Asian side, making it comparatively convenient despite the distance from the city centre. Public transport options include city bus routes (such as the 132/132D) and dolmuş minibuses serving Tuzla, though a taxi or rental car from Sabiha Gökçen is the most practical route for most visitors.

• SAWSabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)about 10 mindrive
• ISTIstanbul Airport (IST)about 75 mindrive

Parking

On-site parking is available at the circuit for event days.

TipFly into Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) rather than the newer Istanbul Airport (IST) if possible; it sits on the same Asian side as the circuit and cuts the drive to around 10 minutes versus well over an hour from IST.

A handful of hotels sit close to the circuit in Tuzla, including options near the Marmara Sea coast, but the area has a much smaller hotel base than central Istanbul, so during any future Grand Prix weekend demand is expected to push many visitors toward the city's Asian-side districts or across to the European side.

Where to look

Tuzla (closest to the circuit, limited but growing hotel supply including Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn properties); wider Asian-side Istanbul and central Istanbul (larger hotel selection, roughly an hour or more from the circuit depending on traffic).

Istanbul Park ran public track days for cars and motorcycles for years, with sessions from 20 minutes to half a day. When we checked in October 2026 the circuit's old Intercity website redirected to a car-rental company and no 2026 or 2027 public track day was listed, so confirm with the circuit directly before you travel.

Typical cost: Track day sessions from around 300 TRY for a short slot, up to half-day 2-4 hour bookings

Lap records

Istanbul Park was built with F1-scale spectator capacity in mind, with a 25,000-seat main grandstand plus natural and temporary stands taking total capacity to around 125,000, considerably more than most circuits without regular F1 hosting duties carry today. The elevated, multi-level terrain gives many vantage points sweeping views across several corners at once, a legacy of the circuit's original Grade 1 design.

Weather

• October (historic F1 dates): mild autumn conditions, often wet; several historic Turkish Grands Prix were affected by rain

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