Last week, following a crisis meeting, Formula 1 issued a statement saying the Russian Grand Prix would not take place “under the current circumstances”. However, a few minutes later, the organizer of the event in Sochi, responded with another statement in which he said that there was still a possibility to play.
After this, rumors began to circulate about the substitute for the Russian event and the name of Turkey appeared, since the official website of Formula 1 had a link in which there was already ticket sales in Istanbul , although the calendar followed the original programming.
However, now it is Portimao that comes to the fore as a possible candidate to replace Sochi despite the fact that the CEO of the category, Stefano Domenicali , is not worried about finding that piece of the puzzle that would have fallen.
In the last two seasons, Formula 1 has competed on the Portuguese track as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various events were canceled as the weeks progressed, and substitute circuits had to be found, causing the likes of Imola and the Nurburgring to return.
In 2020, the category returned to the southern European country for the first time since 1996, when the last Portuguese Grand Prix was held in Estoril , although now in Portimao, a circuit that had never hosted a Formula 1 test, but had tested in 2009.
The current course could be the third in a row with the track on the calendar, as circuit boss Paulo Pinheiro acknowledged: “We are currently in talks with the Formula 1 organization to act as a possible substitute.”
“However, a lot depends on the resolution of logistical problems,” Pinheiro admitted to the Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha .
In addition to Portimao, two other options appear to replace the Russian Grand Prix, which are Istanbul, as it was already known, and Qatar , which has already held an event in 2021 and will enter the grand prix list for 10 years from 2023. .
Going back to Hockenheim or any German track seems very difficult as RTL asked about it and they didn’t get any request from Formula 1.
The IOC recommends the banning of Russian athletes and teams from sports competitions after the conflict between this country and Ukraine, and many events have already been canceled, such as the Champions League final, which was scheduled to be held in St. Petersburg, and that will be held in Paris.
For this reason, the future of some like Nikita Mazepin, the Alpine and Ferrari reserves, Daniil Kvyat and Robert Shwartzman or the F3 driver Alexander Smolyar , could be compromised, and they are at the expense of what the World Sports Council of Motor in the meeting that takes place this Tuesday.
