Istanbul, Turkey - The organisers of Sunday's first Turkish F1 GP have doubled track security after last month's London bombings.
"We doubled it after the British GP or, rather, what happened that week," Turkish Autosport Federation president Mumtaz Tahincioglu said at Istanbul's $70-million circuit.
About 4000 unarmed private security guards will protect the circuit on the Asian side of Istanbul along with 2000 paramilitary Jandarma police and 800 city police.
An unspecified number of plain-clothes police will mingle with the crowds.
NATO member Turkey has had repeated bombings in recent months. Two people were killed earlier this month on the Asian side of Istanbul and five, including a British tourist, in the Aegean resort of Kusadasi.
Bombings in Istanbul in November 2003, including attacks against the British consulate and the HQ of HSBC bank, killed more than 60 people and injured hundreds.
Six of the 10 F1 teams are British-based. - Reuters