Circumstances may have necessitated the return of Formula 1 to Turkey. However, it’s re-introduction to the Formula 1 calendar delivered a stunning Grand Prix in 2020. So much so that the organizers of the event are trying to secure a ten-year deal for Istanbul Park as part of the Formula 1 world championship.

They will have their work cut out though as in recent weeks F1 has committed to Qatar and Miami. And there are strong rumours too that the championship could return to Kyalami in the not too distant future if the final arrangements can be agreed upon. It does bring into question the length of the calendar and the subsequent strain on team personnel who are already stretch thin. As an example, F1’s season-ending triple header will see teams, in just four weeks, travel from Brazil to Qatar to Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi.

There is more news about the future of F1 as Porsche and Audi are assumed to be close to joining the championship as the 2026 engine rules are finalized. The teams and the sport have agreed to drop the MGU-H which has, in the past, because of its complexity and expense dissuaded manufacturers from committing to F1.

With the future of F1 taking shape there still remains the matter of the 2021 championship. To illustrate how different this year has been Lewis Hamilton ended the 2020 Turkish Gp as the world champion. It’s a far different scenario in 2021 as Hamilton goes into this weekend’s race only two points clear of Max Verstappen. The fact that Hamilton has also scored 85 points less than at the same point last season is another example of how hard the Mercedes driver has had to work.

There’s no sign either that the task will get any easier in the final seven races of the year. In fact, all indications are that the title fight could go all the way to the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. But then, F1 in 2021 has proven that very little is predictable and that neither Mercedes nor Red Bull will have an easy run into the flag.

Unless things take a dramatic turn, it doesn’t appear that Hamilton or Verstappen will have much support from their respective teammates either.  For Sergio Perez there haven’t been nearly enough moments this season where he has performed to the standard of the Red Bull. As such, the expectation that Perez will able to take points off Mercedes, or at least influence their race strategy on Sundays, isn’t especially high.

For completely different reasons Valtteri Bottas too is unlikely to hamper the progress of Verstappen. Though the Finn hasn’t consistently shown great pace this season his loyalty to the team has also been nullified given that he’s been, effectively, fired and replaced with George Russell for 2022. It is this lack of allegiance, as evidenced in Bottas’s lack of defense against Verstappen in Russia, which means that he cannot be fully relied on to ‘take one for the team’.

The Istanbul Park circuit shouldn’t expressly favour either the Red Bull or the Mercedes but, like in 2020, the weather could have a significant impact on the running order. The likes of McLaren and even Ferrari could well have an impact should the forecasted rain make an appearance.