F1 RETURN proposed after Lewis Hamilton Mercedes victory

Lewis Hamilton celebrates his seventh world title at the 2020 Turkish GP — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 RETURN proposed after Hamilton Mercedes victory

A shock F1 return has been tabled

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 21 January 2025 09:12

A Formula 1 return has been proposed following Lewis Hamilton’s victory with Mercedes at an iconic circuit.

The seven-time world champion announced his shock move to Ferrari in 2024, after 12 seasons and six world titles with Mercedes, but in his last three seasons with the team he has failed to return to championship contention.

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Hamilton will be hoping to earn a record breaking eighth world title with Ferrari, as the 40-year-old goes up against Charles Leclerc in the next stage of his career.

The last time Hamilton claimed a championship was in 2020, where he achieved his historic seventh world title at the Turkish Grand Prix in a stunning wet weather drive.

Turkish GP return proposed

The race at the Istanbul Park track was re-introduced following race cancellations in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the grand prix last featuring on the calendar from 2005 until 2011.

According to a report from Turkish journalist, İlhan Tüysüz, F1 management and the country’s authorities are negotiating a return to the calendar for the Turkish GP which could be as early as 2026.

The report continues that last month, the Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, held a meeting with F1 officials over a return to Istanbul Park.

At the beginning of 2024, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem also discussed a return for the Turkish GP, where he held a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the pair discussed the possibility of a return of both F1 and the World Rally Championship.

While an official confirmation of the return remains to be announced, F1 and the Turkish GP still have the FIA to convince with the country seemingly set to deliver a state of intent ahead of their comeback.

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Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Charles Leclerc COVID-19