Race Track Near Moscow Certified for Formula 1

Moscow Raceway. If F1 is in Sochi, IndyCar with Mikhail Aleshin should be racing in Moscow.

Moscow Raceway, a race track some 100 km west of Moscow, has obtained a FIA Grade 1 license allowing to host Formula 1 races, the track’s management said in a statement Monday.

"After three successful international seasons Moscow Raceway has upgraded its status and now can host all kind of races including Formula 1," the statement reads.

Moscow Raceway opened in July 2012 and since then hosted the World Series by Renault, FIA GT1 World Championship, FIA GT3 European Championship, World Superbike Championship, and other major racing events.

The overall track length is 3.955 km (2.46 miles), and it has 15 bends. At the longest straight of 2,864 feet Formula 1 cars can achieve speeds of 193 mph.

The circuit has three different layouts, aimed to run sprint, supersprint, and Grand Prix races.

The venue can seat up to 30,000 spectators.

Since 2014, the Russian Formula One Grand Prix takes place in the southern resort city of Sochi.