Istanbul Circuit Turkey

Istanbul Park Circuit lies in the Akfırat County of Istanbul which is on the Asian side of the city. The circuit is 34 miles east of city centre Taksim, 28 miles to Asian Side centre Kadıköy and 10 miles to closest major centre; Pendik.

The 5.33kms or 3.34 mile long Istanbul circuit is one of the few circuits that are raced in an anticlockwise direction. It has reminders of several world famous corners, the most exciting one being the fast turn at corner eleven, which resembles Eau Rouge at Spa and almost certainly now qualifies as the fastest corner in MotoGP. An interesting twist for the Turkish track is the addition of a substantial twist in the main straight.

The seating capacity is 155,000, with 25,000 of those in the main grandstand, and parking is available for 20,000 cars. Dominating the circuit's skyline are the two seven-floor VIP towers built at either end of the paddock. Only the seating on the Main Grandstands for the 2006 Turkish F1 MotoGP is covered - it is therefore highly recommended to get ready for all weather conditions on all the other grandstands. All of the grandstands around the circuit offer big screen viewing.

In 2006, Marco Melandri took his first victory of the 2006 MotoGP season, from 14th on the grid, after overtaking class rookie Casey Stoner at the final turn of the Turkish Grand Prix - capping a breathtaking race that saw nine riders battling for victory.

Istanbul Park is accessible through Highway TEM (E-80) and alternatively E5 (D-100) Highway. Sabiha Gökcen is the second airport of Istanbul and just near the Istanbul Park Circuit (only 2.5 miles). It's open for international flights. The facility is very modern just like Atatürk Airport.