The rollercoaster circuit designed by Aachen-based architect Herman Tilke entered the Formula One calendar in 2005. Prior to that there had been no Turkish Grand Prix.

Thanks to the successful design of the complex and the attractions of the city of Istanbul, this newcomer to the fold has enjoyed tremendous popularity from the outset. Istanbul encompasses the southern end of the Bosphorus strait, which divides it into a European part in the west and an Asian part in the east.

The Golden Horn is an inlet of the Bosphorus that runs westwards and divides the European part of the city into a southern peninsula flanked by the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn, where historic Istanbul is located, and the northern districts of the city bordering on historic Galata.

The centre of former Constantinople is dominated by imposing sacred architecture.

The city limits encircle an area of 1,538.77 square kilometres, while the metropolitan region of Istanbul covers 5,220 square kilometres.

The city’s population has passed the ten million mark. The statistical mean top temperature in May is 21 degrees Celsius.

In August, when the GP was previously held, it is around eight degrees higher than that. But in absolute terms the difference in highest temperatures is even greater: 34°C in May and 49°C in August.