Cancel Russian GP, say British politicians

LONDON — Senior British politicians have cast doubt on the Russian Grand Prix and called for the race to be cancelled. Formula 1’s inaugural race in Sochi has been thrust into the limelight after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in Ukraine, killing 298 people, with the sport anxiously watching developments.

Conservative Member of Parliament David Davis, a former minister in the Foreign Office and shadow home secretary, said that the race on Oct 12 should be called off.

“If Russia continues as they have been doing, then the Grand Prix is one of many things that they should be denied,” he said.

“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.”

The affair is reminiscent of the controversies surrounding recent Bahrain Grand Prix. Even with protesters and bloodshed on the streets, the teams avoided trouble but it was a PR disaster.

Sir Menzies Campbell, of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said that there should be an “assessment of the suitability” as to whether Russia is fit to stage the race.

The former Liberal Democrat leader said: “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.”

The driving force behind the race has been Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, who has a good relationship with F1’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

The manufacturers are also conscious that Russia is the fourth-largest car market in the world. The circuit is designed around the Olympic Park, but there are fears that it could resemble little more than a car park this year with ticket sales for the race not expected to be high.

While the World Motorbike Federation has cancelled the superbike race in Sochi scheduled for September, the FIA, motorsport’s governing body, has given no indications that it plans to do the same. A spokesman said it “does not mix politics and sport”.

Ecclestone, who has previously courted controversy for backing Putin’s stance on gay rights, said that he planned to “honour our contract” with Putin. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH