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Turkey’s F1 problems do not mean the sport will never return to Istanbul.
That was the message on Friday of chamber of commerce head Murat Yalcintas, following reports that Bernie Ecclestone’s doubling of the sanctioning fee for 2012 made a new deal unlikely.
Ecclestone said recently that he regarded Turkey’s place on the F1 calendar as secure.
“It’s an enormous market in Turkey. Eventually they will get themselves sorted out,” said the Briton, responding to complaints about low attendance at the otherwise impressive facility.
The 2012 race is now in doubt but Yalcintas hinted that the latest reports merely foreshadow complex talks with Ecclestone at next month’s event.
“If Ecclestone displays a rigid attitude then there will be no agreement,” he told the Milliyet newspaper.
“Nothing is certain yet. Besides, if there is no agreement for next year, this does not mean that there will no longer be F1 in Istanbul. There could be agreements in the future,” added Yalcintas.
© RIF | GMM
