As Formula 1 preseason testing begins with a three-day test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, an international incident has caused a difficulty for the world’s most preeminent form of auto racing. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine early Thursday, the status of F1’s Russian Grand Prix has become a point of contention among drivers and commanded the attention of racing officials.
According to a report by Jerome Pugmire of the Associated Press, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it relates to F1’s Russian Grand Prix was a major point of discussion in the paddock at preseason testing, with the strongest comments coming from Sebastian Vettel. The former F1 world champion and head of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, who is German, declared he would not race in F1’s Russian Grand Prix, which is tentatively scheduled for September at the Sochi Autodrom.
“My own opinion is I should not go, I will not go,” Vettel said. “I think it’s wrong to race in the country. I’m sorry for the innocent people that are losing their lives, that are getting killed (for) stupid reasons and a very strange and mad leadership.”
While Vettel’s comments were the strongest of any driver, others — including defending world champion Max Verstappen — intimated that action from Formula 1 in regards to the race was necessary.
“I think when a country is at war it’s not correct to race there, that’s for sure,” Verstappen said. “But it’s not only what I think, it’s the whole paddock (that is) going to decide what we are going to do next.”
In a statement issued by F1, the sanctioning body stated that it was “closely watching the very fluid developments” as it related to Russia’s military action against Ukraine, but made no further comment on the status of the Russian Grand Prix. F1 team principals will reportedly meet on Thursday night to discuss the situation.
Formula 1 has held the Russian Grand Prix each year since 2014, and the race is set to expand in prominence in 2023 with a move from Sochi Autodrom to Igora Drive in the St. Petersburg region. Beyond that, there are also circumstances on the F1 grid that make the outright cancellation of Russia’s Grand Prix somewhat difficult: Haas F1 Team is currently sponsored by Russian company Uralkali and its driver, Russian Nikita Mazepin, is the son of Dmitry Mazepin — a key Uralkali shareholder.
Should F1 ultimately decide to cancel the Russian Grand Prix, it would not be the first time that political issues in Russia have led to F1’s withdrawal. The first iteration of the Russian Grand Prix was abandoned after 1914 following the outbreak of World War I.
