Formula 1 has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix. The sport’s commercial arm, which controls the calendar, has decided racing in the country is impossible following the invasion of Ukraine.
The race in Sochi scheduled for September this year has already been cancelled. There will now no longer be a race in St Petersburg, where it was due to move in 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was key in establishing the event in 2014. Putin, who remains closely associated with the race, has a palace in Sochi, and St Petersburg is his home town.
The decision means F1 will not race in Russia for the foreseeable future - effectively, at least for as long as Putin remains in power.
“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.