Formula 1 has decided to cancel the Russian Grand Prix this year.
The race was previously scheduled to take place on Sept. 25th in Sochi.
A statement on the Russian Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/OZbbu9Z8ip
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 25, 2022
The statement comes after Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on Thursday.
There was growing pressure on FIA to take a stern decision with world champions Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso all insisting that F1 should not race there.
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel said that he was “shocked” by the Russian invasion of its western neighbor and had already announced to boycott the Russian GP if it was held.
“I should not go, I will not go. It is wrong to race in the country,” Vettel told reporters. “I am sorry for the innocent people who are being killed for stupid reasons.” The reigning world champion, Max Verstappen also expressed his reservations about racing in Russia this year, “When a country is at war, it is not right to race there.”
The sport’s governing body had earlier stated that it was “closely watching the very fluid developments” in Ukraine before making a decision about September’s race.
Haas, meanwhile, have not made a decision on whether Russian driver Nikita Mazepin will continue driving for the team this year.
The American outfit has already removed its sponsorship from Russian company Uralkali and ran plain white cars on the final day of F1 pre-season testing in Barcelona. Haas not only receives significant funding from Russian company Uralkali but also fields a car for Russian driver Mazepin
The Russian Grand Prix, which originated with a two-year run beginning in 1913, returned a century later in 2014. This year’s race was scheduled to take place at the Sochi Autodrom for the final time before the event returns to its roots in St. Petersburg in 2023.
