Formula One has announced that the Russian Grand Prix will move to the Autodrom Igora Drive in St Petersburg from 2023. The Sochi Autodrom track has been hosting the race every year since it joined the calendar in 2014.
BREAKING: The Russian Grand Prix will move to the Autodrom Igora Drive in St Petersburg from 2023#F1 pic.twitter.com/O3vcfbWf7t— Formula 1 (@F1) June 26, 2021
The development comes after a deal was struck to move the race to a new purpose-built circuit just outside St Petersburg.
Autodrom Igora Drive was designed by Hermann Tilke and will replace Sochi – which has hosted F1 every year since it joined the calendar in 2014 on the site where it hosted the Winter Olympics the same year.
The venue was given Grade 1 status by the FIA at the end of 2020, clearing it to become the second ever Russian host of a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
It is 54km from St Petersburg and just 150km from the border of Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen’s home country of Finland. It boasts 10 different track layouts over approximately 100 hectares.
In a statement issued on Saturday, F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali announced the decision.
“I am pleased to confirm that the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix from 2023 will be held at Igora Drive,” F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali said in a statement issued by the circuit after visiting the track earlier this week.
“This was the result of intensive work with our Russian partners and a detailed study of this delightful track.
Domenicali also said that he was impressed with the new circuit which is situated around 50kms outside of St. Petersburg, Russia’s imperial capital.
“I am impressed with St Petersburg and I am confident that the Russian Grand Prix at Igora Drive will be an amazing event.”
“I am pleased to confirm following joint intensive work with our Russian partners and detailed assessment of Igora Drive – Formula 1 will be racing at that amazing circuit from 2023,” said F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.
This year’s Russian Grands Prix is set to take place at Sochi on September 26. That’ll be the eighth race that the circuit will hold.
Formula 1 says more details on the race will be released in the coming months.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here.