Formula 1 announced on Friday that it has cancelled the Russian Grand Prix scheduled for September in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The international racing federation’s CEO Stefano Domenicali held a Thursday phone call with the heads of 10 teams to speak about the upcoming race.
Formula 1 issued a confirmation on Friday that the September 25 event will not be taking place, ESPN reported.
The Russian Grand Prix will be replaced with a different race.
"We are watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” Formula 1 said in a statement. “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."
Several world champions told the media that they would boycott the event – including four time world champion Sebastian Vettel – with world champion Max Verstappen saying that participating in a race in a country involved in a war was “not correct,” Reuters reported.
The Russian Grand Prix began in 2014. In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin has attended. In 2014 and 2015, Putin handed out trophies at the podium to the top three drivers.
It had been held at the Sochi Autodrom, a 5.848 km Formula 1 permanent race track near the Black Sea resort town of Sochi.
The main sponsor of the race is VTB Group, owner of VTB Bank which was placed under sanctions by the United States and the UK after Russia invaded Ukraine.