Formula One on Friday said it will not race in Russia this season, saying it was “impossible” to do so after the country launched an invasion on neighboring Ukraine.
The race was scheduled for Sept. 25 at Sochi’s Olympic park.
“We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” the sport said in a statement.
“On Thursday evening Formula One, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is ... that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances.”
Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, sea and air on Thursday.
Four-times world champion Sebastian Vettel told a news conference that he would not take part in the Russian Grand Prix if it went ahead.
World champion Max Verstappen also said racing in a country at war was “not correct.”
US-owned Haas ran their car in Barcelona testing on Friday in an all-white livery, having taken off all branding representing title sponsor and Russian potash producer Uralkali.
Team principal Guenther Steiner also acknowledged that the outfit’s Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, whose father owns Uralkali, faces an uncertain future.
European soccer’s governing body UEFA, earlier on Friday, said it had moved the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to Paris.
The cancelation of the Russian race brings Formula One’s calendar back down to 22 races from a planned record 23-round schedule.
But the sport, which pulled off 17 races in the pandemic-hit 2020 season and held 22 races last year, has options it can pick to fill the spot vacated by Russia, after a number of venues held races as COVID-19 stand-ins over the last two seasons.
The Russian race debuted on the calendar in 2014 and was set to move to a new track outside St. Petersburg from its current Sochi Olympic park venue next year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended the race in the past, even handing out the trophies on the podium.
The title sponsor of the race is the VTB Group whose VTB Bank was hit with sanctions by the United States and Britain following the Russian invasion.
Motor racing-Formula One cancels 2022 Russian Grand Prix
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Motor racing-Formula One cancels 2022 Russian Grand Prix
- The race was scheduled for Sept. 25 at Sochi’s Olympic park
- Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, sea and air on Thursday
Pakistan cricketers arrive in Sri Lanka to take part in T20 series ahead of World Cup
- All-rounders Shadab Khan, Rana Faheem Ashraf and pacers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza arrived in Colombo
- Pakistan are set to play three-match series from Jan. 7-11 ahead of T20I World Cup scheduled to begin from Feb. 7
ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Pakistani cricketers have arrived in Sri Lanka to take part in a three-match T20I series scheduled to be played later this week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday as the Green Shirts prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
According to the cricket board, Pakistani all-rounders Shadab Khan and Rana Faheem Ashraf as well as pacers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza arrived in Colombo on Sunday night.
Pakistan Head Coach Mike Hesson, Bowling Coach Ashley Noffke, the fielding coach and other members of the support staff have also arrived in Colombo.
“The remaining players of the national squad and other support staff members will depart from Lahore for Colombo on the afternoon of Jan. 5,” the PCB said in a statement.
Pakistan last week announced its 15-member squad for the Sri Lanka series, with Salman Ali Agha retained as captain to lead the side. Khan was recalled to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury while uncapped batter Khawaja Nafay has also been selected in the team.
Pakistani star cricketers Haris Rauf, Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not part of the squad. All three were playing for the Big Bash League, with Afridi returning mid-season after suffering an injury.
All three T20Is are scheduled to be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on Jan. 7, 9 and 11.
“The series will provide Pakistan an opportunity to finalize their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March,” the PCB said last week.
SQUAD:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq
