The promoter of the all-new Russian grand prix insists the Sochi venue will be ready for the inaugural race in October. With the questionable readiness of the facilities for the winter olympics currently in the media spotlight, concerns have also been expressed about the new F1 venue.
A double-asterisk on the FIA calendar means the Autodrome Sochi's October race date is "subject to the homologation of the circuit". And a report by the Reuters news agency this week described the track as a "fenced-off building site", littered with "lines of skips and diggers" and "rubble-strewn fringes".
The pitlane, detailed correspondent Alan Baldwin, "is roughly surfaced, the staircases and corridors above the garages littered with building materials and detritus. "Wires dangle from the ceilings, empty shafts await their elevators," Baldwin explained, adding that the grandstands and VIP suites "are empty shells".
But promoter Oleg Zabara insists: "Construction of the autodrome in Sochi keeps moving forward. "All works are being carried out according to the schedule. The racing track is 91 per cent complete. Everything is according to plan, and there aren't any problems during olympic period," said Zabara, adding that the team buildings and medical centre are already complete. (GMM)
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