Star Metro - Ukraine opposes reintegration of Russia to motorsport

The FAU has lodged a formal complaint with the FIA Ethics Committee, "requesting an urgent investigation into the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF)", the Ukrainian body said in a statement published Thursday.

The Ukrainian motorsport governing body said the RAF had offices in Crimea and in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts -- territories recognised as Ukrainian by the vast majority of the international community.

By operating in Ukraine, the RAF is breaching FIA rules as the international federation can only recognise one national sporting governing body per country, argues the FAU.

The challenge was sparked by a decision taken on August 3 by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council to "lift the restrictions on the participation of Russian and Belarusian drivers, national teams, individual competitors and officials, as well as those relating to the display of their national symbols, colours, flags and anthems".

These "emergency measures" had been "taken following the invasion of Ukraine" on February 24, 2022, but, four-and-a-half years on, "the situation in Ukraine remains unchanged and the conflicts persist", said the FAU's lawyer, Robin Binsard.

According to the website Motorsport.com, those potentially affected by this legal reinstatement include the Russians Robert Shwartzman and Daniil Kvyat. Both were due to race in 2024 under the Israeli flag: as a Ferrari F1 reserve driver and under an Italian licence as part of a Lamborghini Hypercar team, respectively.

However, the easing of restrictions on motorsport competitors from Russia will not lead to the return of Formula One to the country. The FIA ended its contract for the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi.

On July 7, the International Olympic Committee lifted some of the restrictions imposed on Russian athletes, who will now be able to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, even in team sports.

L.Pelletier--SMC