Russia May Decline Opportunity to Rejoin F1 | F1 News
F1 Grand Prix of Russia SOCHI, RUSSIA – SEPTEMBER 26: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Red Bull Racing RB16B Honda during the F1 Grand Prix of Russia at Sochi Autodrom on September.
Russia may not accept a theoretical offer from Formula 1 to rejoin the racing calendar.
The Sochi race was removed by F1 at the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
At the time, Alexey Titov, who led the Russian GP as head of promoter Rosgonki, was in charge. He now oversees the modern Igora Drive circuit in the Leningrad region, which was set to host the Russian GP starting in 2023.
When questioned by Sport-Express about the possibility of F1’s return to Russia, Titov responded, “We didn’t choose to leave Formula 1. Formula 1 left us. So, they walked away.
“If they show interest in coming back, we will decide if we need them. So, I wouldn’t like to make predictions.
“We had a clear plan for developing several international events at Igora Drive,” Titov continued. “But our Western partners decided that sports should be tied to politics and acted accordingly.
“We were disappointed for a couple of days, then moved on with our plans. The motorsport scene in Russia has plenty of room for growth.”
In fact, after F1 left Russia, the SMP Racing organization launched a Russian Formula 4 series with modern single-seater cars.
“We’re not struggling at Igora Drive,” Titov emphasized. “We purchase a lot of foreign equipment for the track without issues. We focus on self-improvement.
“Of course, international competitions would boost interest, but in their absence, we’re cultivating public interest in different areas.
“I want to highlight that Russian motorsport has always relied more on its own foundation than on Formula 1.”