FIA confirm Istanbul track "water blasted" ahead of F1 return

The FIA has confirmed Turkey's Istanbul Park circuit has undergone water-blasting treatment in a bid to increase grip following the chaos that unfolded in last year's race.

After a nine-year hiatus, Turkey was drafted in as a replacement venue in 2020 due to the number of cancellations that were forced upon F1 as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.

As part of its preparations, the track was resurfaced but as this took place only a few weeks before the event, oils were still prevalent on the surface, severely affecting the grip levels that were exacerbated by Pirelli providing the three hardest compounds.

Rain across the weekend added to the drama, with numerous drivers sliding off the track at various stages as they struggled to cope with the conditions.

Returning to the calendar for a second successive season, the circuit owners have taken the precaution of ensuring the track should provide improved grip.

This has involved it being water blasted, a process that effectively roughs up the surface.

Confirming the teams had been notified of the procedure, FIA race director Michael Masi said: "Regularly each season we do send an update to the teams [notifying them] of any circuit changes for any upcoming events, be they barriers, fences, dates, whatever it may be, areas of resurfacing.

“So yes, the surface in Turkey has been effectively water blasted, which is a regular treatment that happens.

"We’ve seen it regularly used in Singapore, as an example, where the public roads that are used, they are resurfaced quite regularly because of the movement so that is what has happened there along with a few other changes.”

Suggested to Masi, the circuit made a mistake with its preparations in 2020, he replied: “I think it was just a matter of timing last year.

"I think we said that at the time, that it was literally just a matter of timing and they have rectified accordingly.”

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