'Russia will not have a race' - Formula 1 terminates contract with Russian Grand Prix

Formula 1 has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix, it has been confirmed. The race in Sochi, which was scheduled for September this year, had already been cancelled. The decision comes as part of a mounting global backlash to Russia having invaded Ukraine.

Ad/> There will now no longer be a race in St Petersburg, where it was due to transfer to in 2023, after this latest emphatic ruling. Formula 1Verstappen pens Red Bull extension until 20282 HOURS AGO «Formula 1 can confirm it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter meaning Russia will not have a race in the future,» it said in a statement on Thursday. Russian president Vladimir Putin was understood to be instrumental in establishing the event in 2014 and this ruling means F1 will not race in Russia for the foreseeable future.

The news comes on the same day it was ruled that athletes from Russia and Belarus will no longer be able to compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics after a dramatic U-turn on the eve of the opening ceremony. The International Paralympic Committee had initially ruled that athletes from the two countries could compete as neutral athletes. However, amid threats from governments, teams and athletes to pull out from the Games in Beijing, the decision was reversed.

«We are very firm believers that sport and politics should not mix,» said IPC president Andrew Parsons. «However, by no fault of its own, the war has now come to these Games and behind the scenes many governments are having an influence on our cherished event. »Ensuring the safety and security of athletes is of paramount importance to us and the situation in the athlete villages is escalating and has now become untenable." 'Impossible' Russian GP axed