F1 "assessing situation" for Turkish GP after UK adds Turkey to travel red list

The race was only added to F1’s 2021 calendar last month as a replacement for the Canadian Grand Prix, which was cancelled due to the championship failing to receive an exemption to the 14-day quarantine rules imposed on arrivals into Canada.

Turkey held a race on the rewritten 2020 calendar but its return to the schedule next month is under threat with the UK government announcing on Friday that it is putting the country on its red list from Wednesday 12 May.

Arrivals into the UK from red-list countries are required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel for 10 days.

It is understood that exemptions that allow F1 team personnel directly involved in the sport to avoid quarantine cannot be applied to countries on the red list.

UK transport secretary Grant Shapps stressed on Friday that red list countries “are those that should not be visited except in extreme circumstances”.

With the race scheduled to take place between 11-13 June, one week before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, it would put the event under severe doubt.

F1 was facing similar complications over the Portuguese Grand Prix until Portugal was removed from the red list in mid-March.

“We are aware of the announcement made by the UK government regarding travel restrictions for Turkey and are assessing the situation and will provide more details in the coming days,” read a statement issued by F1 on Friday evening.

Turkey’s addition to the red list also impacts the Champions League final between British clubs Manchester City and Chelsea which is due to be held in Istanbul on 29 May.