The Future of the Russian Grand Prix
On February 25th, a statement was released by Formula One that the Russian Grand Prix would not be going ahead this year, stating that “the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances.” This statement has not been the only one of it’s kind in the sporting world, as just today, FIFA and UEFA announced that they would be suspending Russian football clubs and national teams from all of their competitions.
After the country's invasion of Ukraine, statements coming from governing bodies such as these are to be expected, but there have even been issues at a team level in Formula 1 when it comes to Haas F1. For the final day of winter testing, Haas removed the Uralkali branding from their cars. Why is this relevant? Uralkali - a Russian fertiliser company - is the title sponsor of Haas F1. Furthermore, Dmitry Mazepin, father of Haas driver Nikita Mazepin, is the majority shareholder of Uralchem, which owns Uralkali.
Many legal issues surround decisions like these, and when it comes to both the future of the Russian Grand Prix and Nikita Mazepin’s involvement in F1, a lot of questions still remain. Can the event organisers of the Russian Grand Prix submit any sort of appeal, and if so, do they have grounds to? To many in the public, we’re not privy to the litany of clauses that can be woven into the agreements that hold these events together, and the same can be said for various sponsorship deals and driver contracts. Even so, when situations such as these take place, there is often a fallout regardless of the clauses that are laden in any relevant contacts.
As for F1’s statement regarding the Russian Grand Prix, it’s important to note that it didn’t contain a very important word - cancelled.
Was this intentional? It’s easy to believe that it was, likely due to the aforementioned legal hurdles that involve formally cancelling an event like a grand prix weekend. Surely there is verbiage in these deals that allow F1 and the FIA to back out for any number of reasons, and war is likely to be included on such a list. Only time can tell for sure.
What is a lot less murky though is this - Russia’s actions in their attack on Ukraine is indefensible and an absolutely horrendous act, and drivers haven’t hesitated to be vocal about it. For one, Sebastian Vettel claimed that he would not race in Russia if the grand prix went forward.
“For myself, my own opinion is I should not go, I will not go… I think it’s wrong to race in that country. I’m sorry for the people, innocent people who are losing their lives, getting killed for stupid reasons under a very strange and mad leadership.”
Sebastian Vettel on boycotting the 2022 Russian Grand Prix
Vettel has not been the only driver to speak on the subject either. Newly minted world champion Max Verstappen spoke on the issue, saying very simply that "when a country is at war, it is not right to race there."
Lewis Hamilton also provided support for Ukrainians amid the invasion of their country, stating on Instagram: "My heart goes out to all the courageous people of Ukraine who are facing such terrible attacks for simply choosing a better future and I stand with the many Russian citizens who oppose this violence and seek peace, often at risk to their own freedom.”
Will a Formula 1 race take place in Russia this year, or even in the next few years? It’s not very likely given all that is happening. And rightfully so. Formula 1 does have some work to do though when it comes to providing more clarity on the situation. To help with that, a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council will take place on Tuesday, March 1 to discuss matters further, and details could emerge that shed light on the future of the race, Nikita Mazepin’s status with Haas, and any further involvement of Russian stakeholders in the sport.