By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Race daySunday 3 October 2027
- Where
- Istanbul Park
- Tickets
- Ticketed
- Time of year
- October
- Dates
- Around the same dates every year
Practice on the Friday, qualifying on the Saturday and the race on the Sunday, as listed on Formula 1’s own race page; session times were still to be confirmed. It is the circuit’s first Grand Prix since 2021, and tickets had not gone on sale when this page was written, only a waitlist.
The race is not in Istanbul as most visitors know it. Istanbul Park sits in Tuzla, out on the Asian side near Sabiha Gökçen airport, more than fifty kilometres by road from Sultanahmet, so the question that shapes the weekend is not which stand but where you sleep and how you get there and back. Stay on the Asian side or near the airport and the circuit is a short trip; stay in the old city and every day starts and ends with a long journey through some of the heaviest traffic in Europe.
What the Turkish Grand Prix actually is
Istanbul Park is a Hermann Tilke circuit that opened in the mid-2000s and held the Turkish Grand Prix for seven seasons, then returned briefly when the calendar was rebuilt during the pandemic. It runs anticlockwise, which drivers feel in their necks, and it climbs and falls over the hillside rather than sitting flat.
It is best known for one corner. Turn 8 is a long, fast left-hander with four apexes, taken flat or nearly so for several seconds, and it is regularly named alongside the great corners of the sport. If you watch from one place all weekend, many fans would say that is the place.
The return puts Istanbul back on the calendar as a full weekend, with support races and the usual programme around the main event. It is the city’s biggest sporting weekend of the autumn, and the hotels near the circuit and the airport know it.
Where to watch the Turkish Grand Prix
- Turn 8, for the corner people come to see. The four-apex left-hander is where the cars are at their most impressive, on the limit for a long time rather than for an instant, and the stands around it are the ones enthusiasts want first.
- The main grandstand, for the start and the pit lane. The stand opposite the pits takes in the grid, the getaway, the pit stops and the chequered flag: the whole race from one seat, if not its most dramatic corner.
- The hillside and the natural banking, for space. The circuit uses the slope of the land, and the general areas on the banks give long views across several corners. Bring something to sit on and expect to walk.
- The screens and the fan zone, between sessions. A Grand Prix weekend is long, and the support races, displays and food areas fill the gaps; plan to spend whole days at the circuit rather than dropping in for the race alone.
Tickets and what it costs
The dates are fixed and the official F1 ticket site has opened a waitlist, but seats and prices come later. Sign up there, and when sales open buy from that site or the sellers it names.
The bigger cost may be the room. Hotels near Sabiha Gökçen and on the Asian side are the practical base for the weekend and they reprice for it, so book as soon as the race is your reason for travelling.
Official information and booking: www.formula1.com/en/racing/2027/turkey
Getting there
Plan the journey before anything else. Istanbul Park is in Tuzla, on the Asian side close to Sabiha Gökçen airport, and the old city is more than fifty kilometres away across the Bosphorus. On race weekends in the past, organised shuttle buses have run to the circuit from points around the city; check the official travel plan for the weekend, which is published closer to the race.
If you can, stay on the Asian side: Kadıköy, Kartal, Pendik or near the airport all cut the journey sharply, and Sabiha Gökçen is the airport to fly into. From the European side, allow a long time each way and avoid the evening rush hour on the bridges, which can double the journey.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Booking a hotel in Sultanahmet for the race
It is the most beautiful part of the city to stay in and the worst place to commute from to Tuzla. Split the trip: the race weekend on the Asian side, then move across for sightseeing afterwards.
Flying into the wrong airport
Istanbul has two big airports, one on each continent. Sabiha Gökçen is close to the circuit; Istanbul Airport, far out on the European side, adds a long cross-city transfer each way.
Expecting to drop in for the race alone
Getting to Tuzla takes long enough that a short visit is mostly travel. Make it a whole day at the circuit, with the support races and the fan zone, rather than two hours of racing between two long journeys.
Dressing for a summer race
Autumn in Istanbul is mild but changeable, and the last Grand Prix here was run on a soaking wet track. Bring a waterproof and a warm layer for the hillside stands, along with sun protection.
Leaving the journey home to chance
When the race ends, tens of thousands of people head for the same few roads out of Tuzla at once. Decide before the start how you are getting back, and if that means a long queue, stay for the podium and let the crowd thin.
Other Istanbul events
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Turkish Grand Prix held?
At Istanbul Park in Tuzla, on the Asian side of Istanbul near Sabiha Gökçen airport, more than fifty kilometres by road from the historic centre. It is not in the old city, and that fact should shape every booking for the weekend.
How do you get to Istanbul Park?
On past race weekends, organised shuttle buses have run from points around the city, and the official travel plan is published closer to the race. The easiest approach is to stay on the Asian side or near Sabiha Gökçen, which turns a long cross-city journey into a short one.
What is Turn 8 at Istanbul Park?
A long, fast left-hander with four apexes, taken at very high speed for several seconds, and one of the most admired corners in Formula 1. The stands around it are the first choice for many fans who come for the driving rather than the start.
When do Turkish Grand Prix tickets go on sale?
The date had not been announced at the time of writing. The official F1 ticket site lists the race and takes waitlist sign-ups, and the stands and prices appear there when sales open.
Which airport should I fly into for the race?
Sabiha Gökçen, on the Asian side, is close to the circuit. Istanbul Airport is on the far European side, so arriving there adds a long transfer across the city on every leg of the trip.
Is there anything else to do in Istanbul that weekend?
Plenty, but plan the order. Spend the race days on the Asian side, then move to the old city or Beyoğlu for the sightseeing days, rather than commuting from the centre to the circuit and back each day.
Sources
- Formula 1, Turkish Grand Prix race page
- Formula 1 official ticketing, Türkiye
- Turkish Automobile Sports Federation (TOSFED)
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.