Istanbul Park

Istanbul Park

Istanbul Park Grand Prix Circuit

  • Istanbul Park
  • Surface: Asphalt
  • Circuit Length:5.338 km (3.317 mi)
  • Turns:14
  • Lap Record:1:24.770 (Juan Pablo Montoya, McLaren-Mercedes, 2005)

Istandbul Park is the 5.3 km Hermann Tilke designed venue of the Turkish Grand Prix. Opened in 2005, the circuit hosts F1, MotoGP, GP2, DTM, 1000 km and the FIA WTCC Race of Turkey. The circuit has 14 turns and last hosted a F1 Grand Prix in 2011 due to financial disagreement.

Turn 8 (nicknamed "Diabolica" by some in reference to Monza's Curva Parabolica) particularly caught the imagination. The corner is a fast, sweeping corner with four apexes, similar to one of the multi-apex sections of the old Nürburgring. Spectators and drivers alike raved about Turn 8, comparing it to legendary corners such as Eau Rouge and 130R. The circuit itself has already been compared to Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Another notable corner is Turn 1, a sharp downhill left-hander immediately after the front straight. This corner has been nicknamed by some as the "Turkish Corkscrew" in reference to the famous Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Both the 2006 F1 and MotoGP races at the circuit featured multiple incidents at this corner. A third noteworthy area is the uphill kink in the middle of the back straight; due to its similarity to Eau Rouge, it has been jokingly referred to as "Faux Rouge".

Istanbul Park race circuit videos

Kimi Raikkonen pole position lap during the 2005 Turkish GP