The official Sochi Autodrom website tells us there’s only 80 days until the Russian Grand Prix. Yet, one week on from the MH17 disaster, calls for the race to be cancelled are gathering momentum.
In addition to MH17 British-Russia relations are on high alert after a public inquiry into the death of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko was announced. Critics from the political and academic spheres are now speaking out.
David Davis, a Conservative MP and former Foreign Office minister is one outspoken critic calling for the Russian Grand Prix to be postponed.
“If Russia continues as they have been doing, then the grand prix is one of many things that they should be denied,” Davis declared. “The morally proper thing to do is put the race on hold.
“F1 already had a problem in the past with Bahrain. Whilst I’m not particularly in favour of cancelling sports events at the drop of a hat, I think that Formula 1 should reflect the global outrage. It would be an important and appropriate response to cancel the race.”
Sir Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, weighed in saying: “Public opinion all over the world will find it difficult to accept Mr Putin taking all the plaudits for this grand prix in Russia and, no doubt, presenting the prizes.”
Further, Dr Andrew Foxall, from the Russian Studies Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, a British-based think tank, added: “Formula 1 is not, and never has been, an organisation known for morality. There are a host of reasons why this race should not go ahead.”
Previously, and unsurprisingly, Bernie Ecclestone has stated he has no problems with the race going ahead.
“We shouldn’t speculate as to what could happen,” Ecclestone told Adam Cooper. “We will honour our contract. Mr Putin personally has been very supportive and very helpful, and we will do the same.”
[Source: The Telegraph | Pic: via twitter]
6 replies on ““Morally proper” to postpone 2014 Russian GP”
It would be morally proper to postpone, however, Bernie is a businessman with very few morales. So, unless a govt steps in, I wouldnt be surprised to see the russian gp go ahead. Bernie never cancelled the Bahrain GP in the height of protests last year.
Can it
It will sadly likely go ahead. If the USGP 2005 went ahead with the farce of Bahrain that followed. There is no reason (in B.E.’s eyes) why this will be postponed or cancelled.
It should be scrapped all together. Russia are scumbags, total and utter scumbags. I have Russian heritage so I can say what I believe.
In February, Russia hosted the Winter Olympics with one hand while their other hand was preparing to invade the Ukraine, which the ultimately did and no one stopped them. Now they continue their planned total takeover of the Ukraine and (alegedly) shoot down a passenger jet, albeit an accident, but they will get away with it.
At least Bahrain was an internal struggle, yet it still runs each year.
F1 are getting grubbier and grubbier with their commercial drive.
Maybe they should also ban the Texas GP, US drones kill hundreds and also sell weapons to Israel which then kill children. On that note let’s also ban Melbourne GP coz we now turn back the boats 🙂
Of course, the teams themselves could boycott the race, as they did the USGP, Indy.
@CJD – which USGP did the teams boycott? I remember there was one where some of them pulled off after the warmup lap when Michelin advised them the tyres weren’t fit to use, but I don’t remember the teams ever not turning up for a USGP?
I can’t see a boycott working out, to avoid causing any business issues for the teams it would probably be best for them to refuse to travel on security advice. I’m happy to be the one to give that advice, maybe one of the teams might give me a garage pass at the next AGP in exchange for advising them 😉
I’d be interested to compare the number of people killed in the Ukraine conflict (whether in the US-backed fascist coup or the pro-Russian counter-revolution) against the number of people killed in other US operations around the world.