Sochi 'waiting' for return of Russian GP

Mar.20 (GMM) Formula 1 can return to Russia if a new agreement is reached, the boss of the federal territory of Sirius has announced.

The sport unilaterally axed the Russian GP deal at the onset of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in early 2022, with F1 declaring at the team that it was “impossible to hold” in the “current circumstances”.

It was reported that axing the race at Sochi, a resort city located in the Sirius territory, blew a $50 million hold in F1’s budget at the time.

In the meantime, with the Ukraine war still taking place, part of the Sochi circuit was dismantled. But Elena Shmeleva, chairman of the Sirius territory, says the track could be restored for Formula 1.

“Formula 1?” she is quoted as saying. “We are waiting. The Formula 1 venue itself remains.

“There was a huge cycling event there yesterday,” Shmeleva added. “And there will be more and more such events.”

However, she doesn’t deny that only part of the original layout – part of the Olympic Park venue which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics – still resembles a Formula 1 circuit.

“There is a small ring of 2.4 kilometres left,” she said. “But the entire large ring can be recreated for any type of event, such as Formula 1, provided that they are ready to have it.”