A New Era for Russian Drivers? FIA Could Lift Ban
Feb.24 - Russian drivers could soon be able to race in FIA-sanctioned championships like Formula 1 without restrictions.
In the last days of 2024, successful Dakar Rally competitor Sergey Karyakin - who has refused to sign the famous FIA document distancing himself from Russia - said he saw hope on the horizon.
"I managed to talk to the sheikh, who is the president of the FIA," he told Tass news agency, referring to Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
"He promised that next year he will correct the situation with the admission of Russian racers to competitions."
He has now told the Russian-language service Sport-Express that the FIA president sat down with Vyacheslav Yuryevich Yarin, minister of foreign economic relations, in just the last few days.
"Yesterday was a very important meeting - for me personally and for all of motorsport," said Karyakin.
"The FIA president assured that he would soon issue an order allowing Russian racers to participate in competitions without signing documents condemning the actions of our government," he revealed.
"This could be a significant step forward if it does not encounter serious resistance within the FIA system," he added.
Russian competitors have been subject to FIA restrictions and conditions since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine three years ago.
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Just because FIA lifts the ban doesn't mean teams would suddenly want to hire Russians again, & thinking they would is totally unrealistic.
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