Turkey Property | Formula 1 in Turkey

It was obvious from the excitement generated by the construction of the Istanbul Park circuit that Formula One was going to enjoy the Turkish Grand Prix.

In the run up to the first F1 race on Turkish soil, which was held on August 21st, 2005, some of the comments made had put almost too much pressure on the architects, builders and organisers to deliver.

"An excellent track. [I] can't wait for the Turkish Grand Prix," was the assessment of experienced British driver David Coulthard.

Similarly, BMW Williams' Australian Mark Webber, who was one of the drivers chosen to pilot the circuit, proclaimed: "It will be a very nice track. The amount of work that has been done in such a short period of time is very impressive."

The grandest prophecy was provided by Mr Formula One himself, Bernie Ecclestone, who suggested that "this is absolutely going to be the best track".

Thankfully, the race itself lived up to expectations, with 100,000 spectators turning out on a balmy Sunday afternoon in August treated to an enthralling contest, as drivers attempted to get to grips with one of the most challenging tracks on the Formula One map.

McLaren Mercedes' Kimi Raikonnen secured the win, with Spaniard Fernando Alonso - the Renault driver who would go on to take the F1 title that season - grabbing second, ahead of then teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.

It was felt by some that the design of the Istanbul circuit is such that a thrilling spectacle would have ensued no matter who the podium places went to. Hermann Tike, the German architect, has to take his fair share of the plaudits for the design of the 3.34 mile long track. He was also chosen by the sport to plan new raceways in Bahrain, Malaysia and China.

The outstanding feature of a lap around Istanbul Park is the quadruple apex corner on turn eight, curiously enjoyed by many of the drivers. A spin involving McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya and Tiago Monteiro's Jordan occurred at this bend, leaving Alonso to snatch second.

The yearly staging of the F1 event is welcomed by Turkey, a country whose tourism industry is already experiencing a remarkable ascendancy, with World Tourism Organisation figures recording a European-best growth of 18 per cent in the past year. Race fans from far and wide were attracted by the low-cost air services running to and from the Turkish capital, from which the Istanbul Park circuit is just matter of 50 miles away. Turkey property owners and visitors can experience the thrill of watching F1 when visiting Turkey.  

After visiting the track in the run up to the inaugural race, prime minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan talked about the hoped-for knock on effect from its staging.

"With such an event you don't count the money you paid, you count the benefits to Turkey's promotion," he said.

Since 2005's successful opening two more events have been held, both won by the Brazilian Phillipe Massa, a man who certainly has a place in his heart for the southern European track.

Commenting on his notable success rate at the new circuit, Massa said: "This is becoming a special place for me. I love the track. This is where my career made a switch and I started winning races."

So it seems that administrators, drivers and fans alike already feel affection towards the newest addition to Formula One's calendar. Here's to many more scintillating showpieces at Istanbul Park.