Formula One terminates Russian Grand Prix contract

The 2022 race had already been cancelled earlier.

Formula One has announced the termination of its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter, which means the race in Russia will no longer be held. The decision comes on the back of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, Formula One had already announced the cancellation of the 2022 Russian Grand Prix. The Russian GP, which has been held in Sochi since its inception, was scheduled to move to Igora Drive near St. Petersburg from the 2023 season, but the race has now been cancelled altogether. The decision is reported to have been finalised following a meeting between the FIA, team principals and Formula One.

Formula One released a statement that read:
“Formula 1 can confirm it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter.
“It means that Russia will no longer have a race in the future.
“Last week F1 announced that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in 2022 in the current circumstances.”

The decision to scrap the race comes just a day after Motorsport UK had announced that the Russian-licensed drivers would be banned from racing in the United Kingdom. This means that the only Russian driver on the grid, Haas’ Nikita Mazepin, will not be able to take part in the British Grand Prix. Haas, whose title sponsor is Russian firm Uralkali, had removed the Russian firm’s branding from their car for the final day of testing in Barcelona last week, and Mazepin, whose father is a part-owner of Uralkali, has his future in the sport hanging in doubt.

The FIA had earlier announced that Russian drivers would be able to race but they would be allowed to do so only under a neutral flag.