SOCHI IS GONE. It’s gone! Rejoice!!!

[Circuitmaster]

Bottom post of the previous page:

What gives me hope is that the chicane comes after the hairpin (unlike USA and Abu Dhabi). So at least he learnt him something after those tracks.

He got it right originally with Istanbul.. then forgot it all, seemingly..

[Kai-Star]

I don't think you guys have the right track. This is what I found online:

[MonteCristo]

I don't think you guys have the right track. This is what I found online:

If it's a Monacoesque street circuit, I'm sorely disappointed there isn't a Putin on the Ritz corner.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Well, we are all 'sickle' to death of watching them hammer around Sochi

[Michkov]

I don't think you guys have the right track. This is what I found online:

Meme imitating reality here, the real CCCP era circuit in Leninburg was only missing the hammer

[Everso Biggyballies]

From 2023 onwards the Gulag GP will be held at a Tilkedrome outside St. Petersburg instead.

Progress!

[added tweet]

"White man speak with forked tongue".....

Russian GP not ruling out alternating F1 race between Sochi and Igora Drive

It seems Russia dont want Sochi to vanish, and like the idea of alternating Sochi and Igora Drive, similar to Brands and Silverstone back in the day.

The possibility of sharing hosting duties for the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix between Igora Drive and Sochi Autodrom is "not closed", according to the race promoter.

By retaining a Grade 1 licence, Sochi would remain eligible to host future grands prix, leaving the door open for it to potentially share hosting duties with Igora Drive in the future.

Titov said that while it was not an active discussion at the moment amid the focus on moving the race to St Petersburg, he could not rule out the possibility.

"The idea of alternating races has not yet been completely swept away," Titov said.

"I would not say that the discussion of it exists as an active topic, but it is still not completely closed.

"We are still focused on working out a detailed plan for the race in St. Petersburg. This is the priority now. How the event will evolve further is the next question.

"The contract ends in 2025. Sooner or later, discussions should begin about whether we will extend it or not.

"Of course, in these discussions, discussions will also arise on the topic of conditions, format, and so on. But these are the discussions of the future."

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/russi ... e/6621621/

[MonteCristo]

Horrible news .

[John]

With F1 moving towards "destination cities" for their F1 venues, I'm pretty certain that Liberty will go with St. Petersburg over Sochi, bumfuck nowhere as soon as they can.

[Everso Biggyballies]

In other news the track, which I thought was too short to meet F1 regulations, (Its 2.5 miles long whereas I thought any Grade 1 track had to be at least 3 miles long), news today that the track we have been shown is not the layout that will be used..... It will be longer (3miles/5klms) and with some turns to be banked with extra elevation. The current final sequence of slow corners connecting the front and back straight will be bypassed. No new layout maps as yet though, so its all talk atm.

Igora Drive to get "exciting" expansion ahead of 2023 Russian F1 GP

In order to accommodate F1 cars, the current 4km track will receive a planned 1km extension, featuring longer straights and a fast final loop featuring dramatic elevation changes.

Speaking exclusively to Autosport, Alexey Titov - the CEO of Russian GP promoter Rosgonski - said the changes will make the track "an exciting sight", also featuring banked corners.

"There is a plan that the track is going to be lengthened," Titov said. "In the current configuration it is closer to the end of the list in length if we compare it with other tracks in the Formula 1 calendar.

"Therefore, it needs to be made longer. A little more elevation difference will be added, some turns will become banked, so from a sporting point of view it will be an exciting sight."

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/igora ... p/6622742/

[Star]

Sochi is one of the worst tracks on the calendar, so we have to put up with it this year and next year and then we get rid of it. Can't happen soon enough for me. Mind you, who knows what state the world will be in by then, I mean none of us saw all this covid stuff coming did we?

[Everso Biggyballies]

Sochi is one of the worst tracks on the calendar, so we have to put up with it this year and next year and then we get rid of it. Can't happen soon enough for me. Mind you, who knows what state the world will be in by then, I mean none of us saw all this covid stuff coming did we?

Unless they, as posted up the page, decide to alternate between Sochi the new track like Silverstone and Brands (plus for a while Nurburgring and Hockenheim) used to.

Then our only hope is they (the Russians) dont renew their contract in 2025 when the current deal expires.

[Circuitmaster]

https://www.racefans.net/2021/06/29/igo ... e-in-2023/

Map of the proposed Igora Drive extension

[Circuitmaster]

With elevation changes, from Autosport

[John]

As far as Tilke courses go, it's better than most. I get some vibes of Aragon.

[Circuitmaster]

Looks pretty damn steep in places

[MonteCristo]

Looks pretty damn steep in places

That's steeper than a ski-jump on a Russian carrier.