Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week, F1 announced it would not compete in Russia later this year, with the September 25 race canceled.
The organizer of the Russian Grand Prix, Rosgonki, said at the time that it was still possible for the race to continue, but the contract was suspended.
But now F1 has revealed that the contract for the Russian Grand Prix has been terminated.
“Formula 1 can confirm that it has terminated its contract with the organizer of the Russian Grand Prix, which means that Russia will not have a race in the future,” the statement said.
This means that F1 will no longer move from Sochi to St. Petersburg, as planned in 2023. F1 had to compete on the renovated Igora Drive from next year, and the contract for the Russian Grand Prix is until 2025.
The decision to terminate the contract is believed to have been made last week as part of talks between Formula One officials and team leaders over the race after the invasion of Ukraine.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21
Photo: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Sports around the world have been severing ties with Russia since the beginning of the invasion. Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be eligible to take part in this month’s Paralympic Games in Beijing until FIFA eliminates the Russian national football team and all Russian clubs.
The FIA World Motorsport Council held an emergency meeting earlier this week to discuss issues related to the Russian invasion, and announced that Russian and Belarusian drivers will still be able to compete, but only under the FIA’s neutral flag.
But that hasn’t stopped individual ASNs from taking action, including Motorsport UK, which has said Russian and Belarusian pilots will not be allowed to compete in the UK.
Russian Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin faces an uncertain future with Haas as a result of the actions taken. The team’s titular sponsor, Uralkali, removed its brand from Haas’ car on the last day of testing last week, supporting Mazepin throughout his racing career.