Formula One Permanently Removes Russia From Calendar Amid Russia-Ukraine War

According to a statement released on Thursday, Formula One has ended its agreement with Russia forever. The country\’s Grand Prix will no again hold races there. The competition\’s 2022 edition is scheduled for September 25 at Sochi\’s Olympic Park. It was postponed last week due to Russia\’s invasion of Ukraine. The Russian round was scheduled to relocate to Igora Drive, 40 miles north of St. Petersburg, beginning in 2023, according to a June announcement from Formula One. However, the sport has now decided to ax the competition completely.

An official statement from the FIA stated that Formula One has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter. This means Russia will not have a race in the future. Meanwhile, the CEO of F1, Stefano Domenicali confirmed, \”We will not have any more negotiations with them. There will be no more racing there.\”

Since 2014, the Russian Grand Prix has been staged, with Mercedes having a perfect winning percentage at the Sochi Autodrome. It was planned to move the Russian Grand Prix to Igora Drive in Saint Petersburg starting in 2023 after the 2022 Russian Grand Prix. It would have been the last event to be held in Sochi. However, Formula 1 canceled its agreement to host the Russian Grand Prix in response to Russia\’s war on Ukraine.

Last week, several Formula One drivers, including Sebastian Vettel and the defending champion Max Verstappen, stated the race shouldn\’t go on because of the tension. Since then, practically every international sports organization has been compelled to announce actions to limit the participation of Russian athletes and teams. Drivers from Russia and Belarus will have to race in a \”neutral capacity under the \”FIA flag.\”

Formula One Motor Sport UK Bans Russian Drivers!

In the midst of FIA canceling the Russian GP along with all other races in Russia, Motorsport UK lately announced a restriction on Russian-licensed drivers racing in UK events. Therefore, the British Grand Prix in July did not feature Nikita Mazepin of Haas, the only Russian driver on the F1 grid.

However, Mazepin\’s immediate F1 future is in jeopardy. The title sponsor of Haas, Uralkali, is owned in part by his father, the oligarch Dmitry Mazepin. For the penultimate day of testing last week in Barcelona, Haas took off the branding of the Russian fertilizer company. The FIA, the organization that oversees Formula One, will nevertheless permit Russian drivers to compete, although under a neutral flag.

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