Russia missed the 2014 deadline
The Russian Automobile Federation missed the deadline to organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Russia, but that doesn't necessarily mean F1 won't be going to Sochi next year.
Russia missed the July 31 deadline to submit its bid to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix next season. However, officials of the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF) remain confident about holding an F1 race in Sochi in 2014.
According to initial information, a financial disagreement with the race organizers is said to be the reason for this postponed bid, but the FAR seeks to reassure in a statement released: The FAR says it is ready to include the Russian Grand Prix in the FIA calendar under force majeure conditions.
Indeed, to submit an application beyond the deadline, one must be able to prove that the delay was due to a force majeure event, a point on which the Russian federation intends to rely a priori.
On the side of the FIA, no official comment has been published on this subject. A spokesperson quoted by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti only stated that « the calendar is approved at the end of September » which could imply that Russian officials still have a few weeks ahead of them to resolve their issues and ensure they host an F1 Grand Prix next season.
Russia is fully focused on this project and hopes to organize a F1 Grand Prix for the first time next year, according to the vice president of the federation, Igor Yermilin, who shared this with the website Formula1news.ru, which aims to be optimistic. He also mentioned that, in preparation, staff from the Russian Grand Prix would visit Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, and Singapore to undergo training specific to the constraints of F1.
