The Russian Grand Prix scheduled for September 25 has been cancelled in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sport’s owners Formula One announced on Friday.
F1 were reacting to Russian President Vladimir Putin defying Western warnings to unleash a full-scale invasion on Thursday that quickly claimed dozens of lives and displaced at least 100,000 people.
Fighting has gone into a second day with Ukrainian forces fighting off Russian invaders in the streets of the capital Kyiv.
“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,” read the Formula One statement.