The addition of Bulgaria to the F1 calendar could mean the end of the sport’s Hungarian and Turkish rounds.

That is the claim of organiser and Bulgarian motor racing official Bogdan Nikolov, who said this week that a contract for a debut race in 2012 could be signed as soon as next month.

The news follows a scandal earlier this year, when Abu Dhabi investors reportedly reacted furiously to funding claims about the Bulgarian event.

But Nikolov insists the Arab investors are still interested in the project, suggesting that the scandal was more due to “competitive” interests.

“If there is formula one grand prix in Sofia, there won’t be races on Istanbul Park (in Turkey) and (the) Hungaroring. We will be the only grand prix in eastern Europe,” he told the Sofia news agency Novinite.

A race contract for an inaugural Bulgarian grand prix in 2012 could be signed as soon as next month, according to the head of the south east European country’s motor racing federation.

A proposed race in Bulgaria has been on the table for some time, including when F1 chief executive met with the country’s economy minister at Monza last month.

If talks with a funding consortium reportedly comprised of Arab, US and Canadian companies and the government go well, Ecclestone could travel to capital Sofia to sign the contract between November 15 and December 15, Bogdan Nikolov told the Sofia news agency Novinite.

The report said Bulgaria aims to be unique on the F1 calendar by having an asphalt surface that can be artificially heated.

Nikolov, chairman of the Bulgarian Motorcycling Federation, added that the circuit will bid for both F1 and its two-wheeled equivalent MotoGP.

“We have created a project that meets the requirements of both FIA and (MotoGP governing body) FIM,” he said.

Bulgaria demonstrated it is serious about joining the F1 calendar by sending a senior government minister to the Italian grand prix.

A scandal erupted recently after reports said an Abu Dhabi company was going to fund a formula one track for the southeast European country.

The Abu Dhabi interests reacted angrily, declaring the announcement incorrect and inaccurate and vowing to cancel all its Bulgarian investments.

But according to the Sofia news agency Novinite, Bulgarian economy minister Traicho Traikov was trackside on Saturday at Italy’s Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

He reportedly met with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, about Bulgaria hosting a future round of the world championship.

Ecclestone “voiced interest in that idea and committed to visit Bulgaria in the coming weeks to familiarise himself with details of the project”, said the report.