F1 cuts ties with Russian Grand Prix permanently

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) – The Formula One on Thursday canceled its contract with the Russian Grand Prix amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Formula 1 can confirm it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter. It means that Russia will no longer have a race in the future," the organizers said in a statement.

On Feb. 25, the F1 removed the Russian Grand Prix from its 2022 calendar over the war in Ukraine.

The race was due to be run in Russia's resort city of Sochi on Sept. 25.

The 2022 Formula 1 season – without the Sochi race – will start in Bahrain on March 20.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has met international outrage with the EU, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 227 civilians have been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war last Thursday, according to the UN’s human rights body. Ukrainian authorities, however, put the death toll over 2,000.

More than 1 million people fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in a week, according to the UN Refugee Agency.