Confident fine will be paid and GP to continueOrganisers of the Turkish Grand Prix have just thirty days to pay a $5 million fine imposed on Tuesday morning by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.
The revelation means that, despite escaping the ultimate sanction for
politicising the podium ceremony at the Istanbul event last month, the race scheduled for August 26 next year is still in doubt.
"We've only got a very short period to find the money," track manager Baran Asena acknowledged to British broadcaster ITV, "but we are sure our race, which has been one of the most popular additions to Formula One, will stay on the calendar."
The Istanbul Park - otherwise known as the 'Otodrom' - circuit issued a short statement after the Council's decision, insisting that future Grand Prix in Turkey 'will continue uninterrupted'.
Honda's Team Principal Nick Fry admitted that Turkey would be a significant loss to the sport.
"For the car manufacturers and for all the sponsors, it would be losing a growth market and that would be commercially not great," the Briton said.
Source GMM CAPSIS International
