The statistics of the drivers on the 2026 Formula 1 grid in Türkiye

The Turkish Grand Prix will return to the calendar of the Formula 1 In 2027, for the first time since the 2021 edition—a six-year absence that followed two consecutive returns of the Turkish circuit to the calendar in 2020 and 2021, in the unique context of the pandemic which had profoundly reshaped the schedule—the return to Istanbul Park is confirmed until 2031, offering a rare revival for a circuit that had already experienced a golden age between 2005 and 2011 before disappearing from the calendar for nearly a decade.

Turkey won't be the only notable return in 2027: Portimão, the Portuguese circuit in the Algarve, will also be back on the calendar, having only featured in 2020 and 2021 under similar circumstances. These two circuits are popular with both drivers and spectators, and their simultaneous return promises to significantly enrich an already packed schedule. While we wait for 2027, it's already possible to create an initial overview of the current grid at Istanbul Park.

Historical references

Two names immediately come to mind when discussing statistics in Türkiye: Lewis Hamilton et Fernando AlonsoThe Spaniard built the bulk of his record on this circuit during the Grand Prix's early years, displaying remarkable consistency between 2005 and 2011, accumulating four podium finishes, including second places in 2005 and 2006, before a third position in 2007 and again in 2011. Hamilton, on the other hand, embodies the modern benchmark. In his first participation in 2007, he qualified on the front row (P2) but ultimately finished fifth. The following year, he achieved his first podium finish, taking second place, but it wasn't until 2010 that he stood on the top step of the podium for the first time.

However, his most significant result remains his second victory on the Turkish circuit in 2020 — achieved in extremely tricky conditions on a wet and changing track — this success allowed him to clinch his fourth consecutive title, the seventh overall, making him the most decorated driver in Formula 1 history, tied with Michael Schumacher.

Regular winners and contenders

Behind this duo, the circle of winners still present on the grid is very small. Valtteri Bottas is the only other driver to have won in Türkiye, thanks to a perfectly controlled race in 2021. Max VerstappenDespite his current status as a Formula 1 benchmark, he has never won in Istanbul, but came close with a second place in 2021. Sergio Pérez also has a solid history on this circuit: second in 2020 and then third in 2021, he has been able to take advantage of strategic and often unpredictable races, confirming his ease in mixed conditions.

Lance stroll He, for his part, holds a unique achievement on this circuit: the pole position in 2020 — the only one of his Formula 1 career. A performance that illustrates the sometimes surprising nature of Istanbul Park — especially in the rain — even if the race had not gone as well for the Canadian who had fallen to ninth place at the finish.

The ease necessary for regularity

Charles Leclerc He has a striking profile on this circuit: fourth in 2020 after an impressive climb from fourteenth place, then fourth again in 2021, he has regularly flirted with the top 3 without managing to achieve it. In a different vein, Carlos Sainz perfectly illustrates the ability of certain drivers to seize opportunities in the race on this track: from thirteenth to fifth place in 2020, then from fifteenth to eighth in 2021, his two comebacks demonstrate a real ease in the evolving conditions that often characterize Istanbul Park.

Lando Norris et Pierre Gasly They, for their part, embody a form of quiet consistency: both finished in the points in 2020 and 2021, without ever challenging for the podium, but avoiding the pitfalls of a course often marked by unstable conditions. In 2020, Alexander albon also scored points by finishing seventh in the Grand Prix, without a seat to participate in 2021. Esteban Ocon falls into this same category, with a singular feat of arms: in 2021, he became the first driver in more than twenty years to complete a race without making a single pit stop, a sign of particularly fine management in a complex strategic context.

Rookies facing a blank page

A significant portion of the grid will approach the Turkish Grand Prix without any Formula 1 experience. Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman, Oscar piastriFranco Colapinto and Kimi Antonelli will discover Istanbul Park for the first time in 2027. For them, the lack of statistics becomes a double-edged sword: it deprives them of reference points, but also offers the possibility of approaching the weekend without a negative history. George Russell and Nico Hulkenberg They, on the other hand, have some experience on the circuit — the German having not raced since 2010, and Russell sixteenth and then fifteenth in 2020 and 2021, when he was still a driver for Williams.

On a circuit renowned for its technical difficulty, particularly with its fast corners and sometimes unpredictable conditions, adaptability could quickly make the difference and reshuffle the deck against more experienced drivers. See you in 2027 to relive the Turkish Grand Prix, which will undoubtedly offer just as much spectacle as its previous editions.

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