After four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel said he would not be going to the race, Formula 1 finally issued an official statement that the 2022 Russian Grand Prix has been cancelled as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine – with the F1 statement saying “that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances”.
The 2022 Russian Grand Prix had been scheduled for September 25, 2022, in Sochi.
Vettel, who drives for Aston Martin, had previously indicated that he would not drive at the 2022 Russian Grand Prix but F1 and the FiA – F1’s governing body – were once again slow to respond to an urgent situation, much like their bungling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix fiasco where then-race director Michael Masi went rogue and skirted the official F1 rules which prevented Mercedes’ seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from easily winning his eighth world title.
Meanwhile, the Haas team may have a potential problem as their Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin, now has both financial issues which “needs to resolved”, according to team boss, Gunther Steiner, as well as moral issues as the USA-based team owned by American billionaire Gene Haas, is seeking to disassociate themselves from Mazepin’s father and chief financial source, Dmitry – a billionaire with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Haas has already removed the logos advertising Mazepin’s company before the final day of this week’s pre-season test in Barcelona.