Officials behind the Turkish Grand Prix are hopeful of keeping the race on the calendar despite poor attendance figures and a row over the cost of hosting the event.

Just in case TV viewers hadn't noticed, race winner Sebastian Vettel pretty much summed up the situation that has bedevilled the Istanbul Park Circuit ever since it first hosted a race in 2005, when he was asked about the forthcoming Indian Grand Prix. "I think we are looking forward to it," he told reporters at yesterday's post race press conference. "We've heard a lot of things, a lot of good things. One thing I heard is that it will be sold out and that there will be a lot of people there, so this will be fantastic.

"I think this race here has very often been criticised in the past for not having a lot of spectators," he continued. "Today, I have to say that the atmosphere was quite good, and I really enjoyed the last lap, but surely there were some empty seats."

However, other than the failure to put bums on seats, there is the ongoing row over Bernie Ecclestone's demands for more money from the organizers. Nonetheless, local media in Turkey reports that Turkish Automobile Sports Federation Chairman Mumtaz Tahincioglul has spoken with the F1 supremo and remains confident a deal can be agreed.

"We sat down with Ecclestone and Youth and Sport General Director Yunus Akgul and discussed the plans that we could implement," he is quoted as saying. "Both sides are trying to solve this issue. Comparing before the race and the current situation, there is a 50 percent difference."

While Ecclestone concedes that the event needs more publicity, the central row regarding the future of the event comes down to money, with the head of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Murat Yalcintas, claiming that the government has rejected Ecclestone's demand that the hosting fee be increased from £7.5m to £15m.

While Ecclestone has said he would be sorry to lose the race, the Englishman is not known for his sentimental streak.

"We will do everything we can. We will talk with Ecclestone," said Akgul. "We want this race to stay but it is not the be all and end all. We will keep this track alive in every way. There are other races, we will go to them. We definitely want Formula One to stay here and we will do everything we can.

"The draft calendar will be discussed on June 3," he added. "Even if the issue is not resolved by that date, we must get into the draft."