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Controversial Putin to attend inaugural Russia GP at Sochi

Controversial Putin to attend inaugural Russia GP at Sochi

  • Published on 08 Oct 2014 09:41
  • comments 1
  • By: Rob Veenstra
F1 will court further controversy this weekend when Russian president Vladimir Putin oversees the inaugural grand prix at Sochi. Amid the Ukraine crisis, the MH17 atrocity and tough anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Europe and the US, there had already been calls for formula one to cancel its first race in the country.

But mere days after the Japanese grand prix, F1 is now busily setting up at the new Sochi Autodrom, based around the central venue of the Winter Olympic Games earlier this year. Having skipped Japan, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will be at Sochi this weekend, having travelled to the former Soviet state Azerbaijan on Tuesday to unveil the sport's next destination, the 2016 European grand prix at Baku.

As for controversial Russia this weekend, he insisted: "We are happy, the sponsors appear to be happy, so we carry on. "No one has spoken to me about this race or told me that we cannot go," he told The Times. "The sanctions do not affect us and what we are doing is not illegal. The Russian people asked us to come here and that is what we are doing. We are putting on a grand prix. This is nothing to do with politics. As I have always said, we do not do politics. We are in Sochi to race," said Ecclestone.

Times correspondent Kevin Eason claims Putin, who is "a close friend" of Ecclestone's, will also be there. "F1 should reflect on the lack of global support for Putin's behaviour in the Ukraine," said Dr Andrew Foxall, director of the Russia Studies Centre at London's Henry Jackson Society think-tank. "If Putin appears to wave to the crowd, it will be on global television and F1 will forever be blighted by association with an authoritarian regime." (GMM)
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Replies (1)

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  • BtwnDitches

    Posts: 204

    I agree 100% with the last comment in the main article. Anything for a buck, right Bernie?

    I am boycotting the whole damned thing - couldn't care less.

    • + 0
    • Oct 8 2014 - 14:10

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Date
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Bahrain
29 - Mar 2 2024
Bahrain
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7 - Mar 9 2024
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24 2024
Australia
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Japan
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China
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Canada
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Spain
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Austria
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United Kingdom
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Hungary
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Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
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Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1 2024
Italy
Monza
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Azerbaijan
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Singapore
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United States of America
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Mexico
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2 2024
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
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Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24 2024
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7 2024
Japan Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21 2024
China Shanghai International Circuit
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Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
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Canada Gilles Villeneuve
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Spain Circuit de Catalunya
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Austria Red Bull Ring
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United Kingdom Silverstone
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Hungary Hungaroring
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Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
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Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
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Italy Monza
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Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
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United States of America Circuit of the Americas
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Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
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