30 Jul 2011

Turkish Grand Prix on the scrapheap?

6:38 am on 30 July 2011

Turkey looks set to be dropped from next year's Formula One calendar after teams said a sad farewell to the poorly-attended grand prix despite its fate not yet being officially sealed.

The Istanbul event was included on a record 21-race calendar for 2012 issued by the governing FIA in June but rumours in the Hungarian Grand Prix paddock have been rife that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is planning big changes.

Empty stands have characterised the unloved race since it appeared in 2005 and next year will see the return of the United States Grand Prix at a new track in Austin, squeezing space on the calendar.

Autosport has reported that next year's Bahrain Grand Prix, cancelled this season because of political turmoil, could be moved to the end of 2012 from the start to give the country time to sort out its problems.