Turkey will host the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup for at least three years after signing a multi-season deal with promoter Discovery Sports Events, although the 2022 race has now been confirmed for Istanbul Park.
The news came at a press conference event at the Golden Horn Shipyard in Beyoğlu, Istanbul’s centre of culture, on Tuesday.
When the 2022 ETCR calendar was first unveiled in December, it promised a street race already this year.
However, the introduction of the street race in the city has now been put back by a year, with the series instead visiting the permanent Istanbul Park circuit for 2022.
The last time a major touring car race was held at the Istanbul Park circuit was in 2006, when the World Touring Car Championship completed the second of two years of racing at the track. The DTM also visited once, in 2005.
Turkey has plans to significantly increase the number of electric cars in the country, with 2021 seeing a 150% rise in the sale of electric vehicles compared to 2020.
“As the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, we are very happy and excited to host the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup, in which electric cars – the future of the automotive world – compete,” said Eren Üçlertoprağı, TOSFED President.
“Thanks to this race series, which draws attention with its technology and its new concept, we will have the chance to show the beauty of Beyoğlu and Istanbul to the whole world, and to raise awareness about electric cars in a way that will also concern the TOGG [Turkey’s automobile joint-venture group] project, the pride of our country.
“We hope that we can see TOGG participate in this and similar races in the future. In this context, as in all international race organisations, we continue our efforts to organise this race in a way worthy of our country.”
Xavier Gavory, FIA ETCR Series Director, is looking forward to seeing the innovative new touring car series racing in the Turkish capital.
“Istanbul is one of the most fascinating cities in the world, blending its history as the centre of many world cultures with modern dynamism and permanent transformation,” added Gavory.
“As Discovery Sports Events, we are pleased to organise the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup; the ground-breaking 100 per cent electric series that will promote electric mobility in the heart of this vibrant city as a symbol of innovation and sustainability.
“It is our intention to help Istanbul demonstrate the mind-blowing power and spectacle of today’s electric cars in the amazing environment that Istanbul will provide over the next three years.”
The 2022 edition of the Race of Turkey will take place on May 20-22 at Istanbul Park.