Canadian GP Out, Turkey GP In

[etusch]

I hope this time we can watch in place

[diffuser]

Me either, it seemed like the same situation we had with last year, where it was clear the event couldn't go on but it was important who actually made the call to cancel due to contracts and insurance stuff.

Holding it would have had so many implications it isn't funny.

The NHL has had to put all the Canadian teams into 1 divisions and play only each other so they don't have to cross the boarder into the US. The Raptors and the Blue Jays are playing in the US cause they can't cross the boarder ....

It's the only solusion that makes sense.

[Wouter]

I hope this time we can watch in place

I hope that for you too @Etusch, but is Turkey not in a complete lockdown from now one, this Thursday?

[etusch]

I hope this time we can watch in place

I hope that for you too @Etusch, but is Turkey not in a complete lockdown from now one, this Thursday?

Yes it starts this evening and will last 17 days. It is just until finish of our "Bayram" which is right after "Ramazan(Fasten month)" During Bayram many people visit their relatives (They think this cause infection) and many people choose to go seasides (in this case there is money and I am sure they feel sory about that ) . I think Gov plans to prevent first one but out of pity! couldn't find a way to let second one.
these spring times are times people get caught by disease and race will be in july . So I think vaccination + warm wheaters can allow us to watch it at istanbulpark. Maybe with 3 mask and 2 underwear as a precaution.

[dans79]

Looks like Turkey might not happen either now!

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/57032897

UK transport secretary Grant Schapps said on Friday that red-list countries "should not be visited except in the most extreme circumstances".

F1 said it was "assessing the situation and will provide more details in the coming days".

The race is scheduled to take place between 11 and 13 June.

[Wouter]

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/84012/tu ... elled.html

Turkish media confirm: Turkish Grand Prix cancelled

It was already a bit of a long shot but now the Turkish Grand Prix seems to have been cancelled. Several Turkish media outlets confirm the news. The race was already replacing the Canadian Grand Prix but the Formula 1 will also not go to Turkey.

Turkey on the red list

Recently Great Britain put Turkey on the red list, which meant that there was a negative travel advice for the country and with that also a quarantine obligation. This already made the organisation of a Turkish Grand Prix very difficult. Several Turkish sports media, including S Sport (the official broadcaster of F1 in Turkey) and Mansetebak have announced that the race has been cancelled. Also the Champions League final planned in Istanbul will be moved. The news has not yet been officially confirmed by Formula 1 itself.

https://www.mansetebak.com/formula-1-se ... aman/1364/

[Baulz]

Not many options for a replacement track, it would be great to have Magny-Cours back for a one off even though I don't remember the racing there being great.

[Wouter]

Not many options for a replacement track, it would be great to have Magny-Cours back for a one off even though I don't remember the racing there being great.

According to this well-known Spanish F1 journalist, who was the first to announce the news, there will be no replacement race.

In the absence of official confirmation, the Turkish GP falls from the 2021 F1 calendar with no substitute.

The world championship is in 22 races.

[Just_a_fan]

It's a shame - I like the Turkey track and last year was definitely an exciting race albeit weather induced. But it's not surprising as although cases/deaths in the country are diminishing, any decision to remove the country from the red list will be too late for the track to get organised for the F1 circus.

[Shrieker]

I think this was too much of a knee-jerk. We've been in total lockdown for a good bit, and the amount of cases/deaths was falling dramatically.

[Just_a_fan]

I think this was too much of a knee-jerk. We've been in total lockdown for a good bit, and the amount of cases/deaths was falling dramatically.

It's a very blunt way of dealing with the issue, sadly. Unfortunately, the people making the decisions, make the call on a country based on the data available at the time of their meeting. They then say the country is not ok to visit from some date in the future. So you could get a change in status a couple of weeks after a decision that was itself based on data that was a week old. Three weeks is a long time in this ever-changing situation. I guess they can't be changing the the advice on a daily basis as no one would know what was going on then.

I wouldn't be surprised if Turkey is taken off the red list in a few weeks based on the dropping case/death numbers. But it'll be too late to organise the GP by then.

[El Scorchio]

Great shame if it doesn't go ahead, but it's got to be safety first for all concerned. I would hate to be the one having to make decisions on things like this.

[Just_a_fan]

Great shame if it doesn't go ahead, but it's got to be safety first for all concerned. I would hate to be the one having to make decisions on things like this.

It's a political decision rather than a safety one, I think. HMG has made the decision based on the risk of someone bringing it back. Why? Because the same people got their ears bent by public complaining that HMG didn't shut the borders when the first outbreak occurred. They're now behaving with the caution that should have been present back then. Today, the UK is in a much better place with regards to Covid because the vaccine roll out has been pretty successful so far.

[SiLo]

Surprised they haven't called up Germany for the Hockenheimring. Nurburgring can't be used because they have the 24Hr event not long before apparently.

[Marty_Y]

Could the Mugello circuit be a option?