Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton hopeful of Turkish GP stay beyond 2011 season – Formula 1 news
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton have hoped that the Turkish Grand Prix will remain on the Formula 1 calendar after the 2011 season.
Massa has won three times on the Istanbul track and said that he had some great battles in the past with some of the great drivers and would love to have some more on the same track.
The Brazilian said, “I would miss it. I won three times, especially the first time it was a big fight with Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. In 2008 I had a big fight with Lewis Hamilton.”
He further added that drivers always love to come to Istanbul Park due to its unique nature and some interesting corners.
The famous turn 8 of the Turkish track has always attracted the attention of the drivers and the spectators and many drivers have won and lost races due to that very turn.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton also spoke in favour of the Turkish track and said, “It's got some great high speed corners and quite a nice mixture of corners. Of course it would be a shame to not have the Grand Prix on the calendar. We love to race at circuits
that are challenging and exciting for us, so fingers crossed it will be here (next year).”
There have been speculations that the Turkish Grand Prix would be dropped from the next year’s Formula 1 calendar. Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said that the Istanbul race might be axed due to pricing issues.
Currently, Turkish Grand Prix is in its final year of contract with Formula 1 officials for $13 million. For the next year, F1 is demanding $26 million from the Turkish GP officials if they want the race to be hosted. Head of Istanbul’s Chamber of Commerce,
Murat Yalcintas, said that the cost demanded cannot be fulfilled so Turkey would have to withdraw from racing.
Nevertheless, Formula 1 teams are going to sit in Stuttgart next week to decide the future of the sport where the matter will also be discussed. Let’s hope the Turkish Grand Prix stays on the Formula 1 calendar.
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