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F1's decision to drop the 2022 Russian Grand Prix was correct, according to McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl. Russia has been hit with sanctions on multiple fronts after launching an unprovoked invasion into Ukraine.
The German spoke to the media during the first pre-season testing session of the year where he called the Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom 'untenable' under the present situation. He said:
“We are obviously all aware and clear that there are more important things happening at the moment in the world than our test here. Before we start, I want to address the topic of the Russian Grand Prix directly as I understand many of you will have questions on this topic. As you know, Formula 1, FIA and the teams, we all met last night which was a productive meeting and a constructive discussion where we, as McLaren, made our position clear that, from our point of view, the Russian Grand Prix is untenable under the current circumstances.”
Shortly after Seidl made his comments, the FIA decided to drop the Russian Grand Prix from the F1 2022 calendar.
Meanwhile, footballing governing body UEFA stripped Russia of its rights to host the 2021 Champions League final in Saint-Petersburg. Moreover, Haas F1 had to remove all branding related to Russian sponsor Uralkali on the final day of pre-season testing as a result.
Race promoter Rosgonki has asked fans to refrain from seeking refunds for tickets to the race. They believe that despite the sport’s decision to cancel the 2022 race at Sochi, the event still has a chance to go ahead as originally planned.
Lewis Hamilton hoping to see more accountability from FIA and F1 in 2022
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton wants to see more accountability from the FIA and F1 going ahead in 2022.
Hamilton was on the cusp of clinching what would have been a record-breaking eighth world title in the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. The Briton was beaten by Max Verstappen under controversial circumstances, mainly due to former race director Michael Masi's questionable decisions.
Speaking in his first media interaction since the race, Lewis Hamilton revealed that the FIA and the sport needed to do a lot to regain the 37-year-old's trust. He said:
“Whilst we can’t change the past, and nothing will ever really be able to change the way and how I felt at the time, and how I feel about the situation, it is good to see that the FIA are taking steps to make improvements. I think accountability is key. And we have to use this moment to make sure that this never happens to anybody else in the sport ever again. Even everything that’s been said by the FIA, we welcome that. But we have to make sure that we keep a close eye on it and make sure that that we actually are seeing those changes, and rules are applied fairly and accurately and consistently.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton will be driving for the Silver Arrows alongside new teammate George Russell in the 2022 F1 season that will start with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.
