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F1 2022 Russian Grand Prix Canceled for Now, Wording Allows for Change

Formula 1 confirmed on Friday that the 2022 Russian Grand Prix is canceled – for now. The announcement sent by officials to the press is somewhat vague and it may allow for future changes. But a first decision has been taken and confirmed.
Haas 2022 F1 testing 6 photos
Photo: F1 on Facebook
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Following in the footsteps of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which moved the Champions League Final from St. Petersburg to Paris, Formula 1 has decided on Friday, 25th of February, that this year's Russian Grand Prix can’t take place. The commitment has been taken after agreements between FIA and the participating teams.

Fans and journalists close to the sport were asking for this decision since Thursday morning, especially after Sebastian Vettel was the first of the drivers to say he would not attend the Russian Grand Prix. Champion Max Verstappen also took a stand, asking for the race to be scrapped.

The armed conflict taking place right now in Ukraine has prompted F1 to take extreme measures like this Russian Grand Prix cancelation, even though the Sochi Autodrom is considered safe. The circuit is far away from the conflict area.

F1 chose to follow what other international bodies have decided already and announced to the world that it won’t take the racing event to Russia this year.

Here’s what the official statement said: “We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation."

"On Thursday evening Formula 1, the FIA, and the teams discussed the position of our sport, and the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances,”
can be read on an image first published by F1 Media on its verified account on Twitter. Since then, the information also appeared on the official website of the F1 racing championship.

The final paragraph might leave the door open for changes, as it is not a final, signed, and clear decision. The F1 governing body simply admits that preparing now for the Russian Grand Prix might be a bad idea, since the hosting country is involved in a military campaign against another European country.

The 2022 Russian Grand Prix was scheduled to take place on the 25th of September. We’ll see if this ambiguous cancelation remains valid until then. Turkey, with its Istanbul Park circuit, might step in this season as well, as a replacement Grand Prix.


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Editor's note: Gallery shows photos of the 2022 F1 pre-season testing at the Barcelona circuit.

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About the author: Florin Amariei
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Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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