Formula 1 terminates contract with Russian Grand Prix amid Ukraine invasion

The Russian Grand Prix has joined the long list of mega-events to be held in Russia, which have been canceled after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, last week. Formula One terminated its contract with the Russian GP, only a few days after saying that it will be impossible to hold the annual event under current circumstances. It means the future races in Russia also stands cancelled for the foreseeable future.  

In a statement confirming the development, F1 said, “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”.

The race was scheduled to take place on September 25 this year, at the Sochi Autodrom. Formula One became the latest sport governing body following, FIFA, UEFA, IOC among the others to take strict measures against Russia.

Earlier in the day, The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had announced its decision to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from taking part in the 2022 Bejing Paralympic Winter Games.  

Will the Haas F1 team continue with Russian driver Nikita Mazepin in the 2022 season? 

The termination of Russian GP implies that F1 will no longer shift to St. Petersburg as planned from 2023, which is a major blow to Russia’s sporting community. Russian GP’s now-terminated contract would have made the prestigious motor racing series visit Russia till 2025. This further puts concerns over the future of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin in the racing series for the upcoming 2022 season. Mazepin’s father Dimitry Mazepin is the owner of Haas F1 team’s title sponsor Uralkali, a Russian company, which continues to face heat due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Motorsport fans witnessed one such example during F1’s 2022 pre-season test at Barcelona, where Haas removed all Uralkali logos and brandings from their car and sported a white livery on the final day of the three-day event. Mazepin drove the plain-white Haas car in the morning session of Day 3, as speculations about his future started flooding the internet. The Motorsport UK banned all Russian license holders to race in the British Grand Prix in a statement on Wednesday.