The Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix has been cancelled following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
F1 bosses released a statement on social media after a meeting between stakeholders and governing body the FIA concluded the sport could not race in Russia.
The statement read: “The FIA Formula 1 World Championship visits countries all over the world with a positive vision to unite people, bringing nations together.
“We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation.
“On Thursday evening, Formula 1, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances.”
A statement on the Russian Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/OZbbu9Z8ip
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 25, 2022
The Russian Grand Prix was set to take place on September 25 in Sochi (pictured), where the event has been held since 2014. The race was due to move to a purpose-built facility in Saint Petersburg from next year, but this now also looks in doubt.
There had been whispers of the motorsport event not going ahead yesterday (Thursday) after tickets for the Russian GP were temporarily taken off sale, according to reports from the Daily Express.
At the time, F1 released a statement which said organisers were monitoring “the situation very closely” but have now decided to remove the race from the 2023 calendar.
Image: Alexandr Bormotin on Unsplash