Dry but overcast weather for Istanbul Park return

2020 Turkish Grand Prix weather

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Formula 1 looks set for a dry end to the season with no rain expected in Turkey, followed by three races at desert venues.

Mild air temperatures and cloud cover are forecast for Formula 1’s return to Istanbul Park. This race is taking place much later in the year than previous grands prix at the circuit. Cooler track and air temperatures are therefore expected.

The warmest day of running looks set to be Friday practice, when there should be a high of 16C during the second session.

Saturday and Sunday will be slightly cooler, at 15C during qualifying and the race. However, one consistency throughout the weekend is that it will be cloudy across all sessions, which means track temperatures will generally remain low.

The circuit has recently been resurfaced, as was also the case at Autodromo do Algarve. The combination of a new surface plus cooler asphalt temperatures is likely to mean little grip will be on offer and tyre degradation will be low, as we saw during the race in Portugal.

The wind could also be a factor as the track is fairly exposed and features several quick corners including the dauntingly fast turn eight. Early indications are qualifying could see the occasional gust strong enough catch an unwary driver on a fast lap.

For teams whose cars are particularly sensitive to wind this year, these conditions plus the low-grip surface could make for a tricky weekend.

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For more updates on the track conditions during each session keep an eye on RaceFans Live and the RaceFans Twitter account.

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    Author information

    Hazel Southwell
    Hazel is a motorsport and automotive journalist with a particular interest in hybrid systems, electrification, batteries and new fuel technologies....

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    4 comments on “Dry but overcast weather for Istanbul Park return”

    1. Formula 1 looks set for a dry end to the season with no rain expected in Turkey, followed by three races at desert venues.

      I can confirm it rained pretty heavily in Dubai a few days ago, so while it is unlikely it’s not completely out of the question that there will be rain in once of the Bahrain or Abu Dhabi races!

      1. @geemac 99.9 % likelihood of no rain, so I don’t count on it, LOL. Yes, you point out that it isn’t entirely out of the question, which, of course, is true for every place in the world, but the likelihood is why there isn’t much point in thinking about rain when it comes to the GPs in the Gulf region. Rain happens maybe a few times a year at max, so very unlikely to coincide with a race weekend in either Bahrain or Abu Dhabi (or Jeddah next year).

    2. The earliest Turkish GP to date is the most recent one back in 2011 on May 8, while the 2006 race is the latest on August 27. The 2011 race took place in 17 degrees, so around the same as this weekend, and the same with 2008 on May 11.
      Still warmer than Nurburgring, though, even if not warmer than Portimao, and about the same as Imola last time out.

    3. this aged well

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