Sochi F1 (Sky Sports)
The 2022 Russian Grand Prix scheduled to be held in Sochi was already cancelled before following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Russia won’t be hosting a Formula 1 race in the near future. F1 becomes the latest sporting event to cut ties with the Putin-governed country. FIA joins the list of FIFA, UEFA, IOC, ITF, IIHF and a host of other international sports governing bodies to impose sanctions on Russia.
The decision comes following a meeting between F1, FIA and team bosses. The Russian Grand Prix was scheduled to be shifted from Sochi to St. Petersburg in 2023 but now F1 will be announcing a replacement venue.
Russian drivers will however be allowed to compete in races but under a neutral banner. Earlier, Motorsport UK had announced a ban on Russian drivers which means F1’s only Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin won’t be able to compete in the British GP.
Mazepin’s future with Haas isn’t certain either. The US-based team have already dropped the branding of their Russian sponsor, Uralkali which is owned by Nikita Mazepin’s father, Dmitry Mazepin.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is a global crisis and has affected sporting activities across the world. Global sporting bodies have taken strict measures against Russian teams and athletes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has called for the ban of Russian athletes from participating in any International event. Russia has been removed as the host from a number of events and F1 is the latest event added to the list.
Football’s global governing body FIFA have banned Russia from participating in all its competitions including the World Cup. The European football federation, UEFA have disqualified Russian club, Spartak Moscow from the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have suspended the Russian Ice Hockey teams from participating in international matches. The IIHF have also stripped Russia of the hosting rights of the 2023 World Youth Championship.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has banned Russian and Belarusian teams from participating in the Davis Cup however, athletes can participate as individuals under a neutral banner.
FIA’s announcement doesn’t come as a total surprise. Fans will keep a keen eye on further proceedings and will be interesting to see which replacement venue is finalised by Formula 1.
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