The Turkish Grand Prix will return to the Formula One calendar in 2027, signing a five-year deal. The Istanbul Park hosted the race between 2005 and 2011, eventually returning briefly for 2020 and 2021 to help fill the gaps left by races cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no interest in increasing the number of races per season above 24, this seemingly sets the 2027 calendar in stone, with all other venues under contract.
The FIA has announced numerous rule tweaks ahead of Formula One’s return in Miami. Drivers will now be able to regenerate the full battery power during superclipping. Superclipping is when the car begins to recharge its battery when at full throttle. Although this causes speed to decrease at the end of long straights, it will hopefully help reduce the amount of energy management needed throughout the rest of the lap. The maximum power that can be recharged in qualifying has been reduced by 1/8th, which aims to reduce the amount of energy harvesting during a lap. During the race, the FIA has capped the maximum power that can be deployed using Boost, attempting to reduce high closing speeds. A new “low power start detection system” will also be introduced to prevent issues with slow cars on the grid. This will automatically deploy energy to increase the slow car’s acceleration, which won’t provide any competitive advantage but will prevent the safety risk of slow cars on the grid. Lastly, tyre blanks for intermediate tyres will be hotter, the maximum ERS deployment is reduced in the rain, and the rear light systems have been simplified.
Audi has appointed Allan McNish as its Racing Director, taking over many of the team principal roles left by Jonathan Wheatley. McNish, who competed in Formula One with Toyota in 2002, has a strong relationship with Audi as a driver in its endurance racing programme. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times with the team. In motorsport management, he was Audi’s Formula E team principal and was appointed the director of the Audi Driver Development Programme earlier this year. Working under Audi F1 CEO Mattia Binotto, McNish will be responsible for overseeing the operations during the race weekend. This comes just weeks after the unexpected departure of team principal Jonathan Wheatley.
Former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner fueled the rumour mill this weekend, making a surprise appearance at the MotoGP race in Jerez. He was joined by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. He was also seen in the factory Honda garage talking with HRC CEO Koji Watanabe, with whom he has a strong relationship from his Red Bull F1 days. Horner is still looking for his next challenge, with many hinting that it could be with Alpine. However, MotoGP has seen a surge of interest since being taken over by F1 owner Liberty Media. Former Haas team principal has already bet on the sport, leading a group of investors that acquired KTM’s Tech3 team last fall.
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