F1 cancels Russian GP – organiser criticises “political” sport

Even though ANO Rosgonki, organiser of the Russian Grand Prix, paid “better than good” to bring Formula 1 to the Sochi Autodrom, Stefano Domenicali stands by the decision to cancel this year’s event and to wipe it from future F1 calendars.

Speaking with Germany’s Sport Bild, the Formula 1 chief executive officer stated that while he typically adheres to the idiom “never say never,” in this instance he promises that the championship “will not have any more negotiations” regarding the Russian GP. “There will be no more racing there,” he declares.

Noting the many “critical voices” wishing for Formula 1 to take the same stance with races held in locations such as Qatar or Saudi Arabia, Domenicali stresses that he is not selling the championship’s soul. Although he concedes that “money is important everywhere, even for us,” the chief executive officer argues that “if we only looked at the bank account, the race calendar would definitely look different.”

Responding to Domenicali’s comments on racing in Russia, Alexey Vasilievich Titov, chief executive officer of Rosgonki, described global sport as being “highly politicised” at present. He considers the Formula 1 chief executive’s words to have “nothing to do with the real spirit of sport.” Titov also states that Rosgonki awaits the return of the money it has paid so far for this year’s event. “We expect a refund regardless of the current position of Formula 1 management in relation to holding races in the Russian Federation.”

The Russian GP was scheduled to be the 17th round of the 2022 Formula 1 race calendar and was to take place between 23 and 25 September 2022.