Russian GP back on track?
The Russian billionaire, owner of football club Chelsea, is 'close to clinching' the deal with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is also keen on the idea of a Moscow race, according to the Mirror newspaper.
''(Abramovich) is believed to have discussed his plans for a new circuit with the city's mayor Yuri Luzhkov,'' the report said.
In the past, Abramovich, a keen F1 fan, was linked with possible purchases of the former Minardi and Jordan teams, and was often spotted in GP paddocks.
Ecclestone, who once came close to pulling off a Moscow race, said last year: ''Countries like Russia and places like Moscow are important to us.''
05/01/05 Moscow is pressing ahead with plans to build a race track, suitable for Formula One, in order to host a Grand Prix in the medium term. After several failed attempts, Russian investors, and the German track architect Hermann Tilke, held preliminary talks about the construction concept earlier this week. The details may well be completed this year, though the actual construction work will not begin until 2006 at the earliest. “In spite of many declarations, the construction of a Formula One racetrack has not yet been realized. This is set to change," says Dmitri Koroljow, head of the project. The Russian racing facilities at St. Petersburg and Mjatschkowo are about to be closed, which is why Koroljow deems it necessary to build a permanent racetrack as soon as possible. Considering the commitment of the Russian Midland Group, which bought the Jordan team earlier this year, a Russian Grand Prix would make sense. Williams
04/29/05 Media reports about a new Grand Prix venue in Russia are wide of the mark. There is a plan for a new racing circuit to be built around 50 miles out of Moscow but the track is being designed for Russian national competitions rather than with any international ambitions. The project is being headed by former touring car driver Dmitry Korolov. "Our prime aim is to create conditions for the development of Russian motor racing sport," Korolev told a Russian news agency. The problem is that Russian racers do not have permanent facilities on which to race and many feel that this is holding back the development of the sport. The work will start in 2006 and the design of a circuit is now being undertaken by Tilke GmbH. Grandprix.com
04/29/05 Once again, Russia is advancing plans for a Formula One event. The Russian 'RIA Novosti' press agency said talks are taking place between a local investor and Hermann Tilke, architect of the most recent circuits like China and Bahrain. It is reported that plans should be complete in the summer, with work provisionally scheduled to start in the spring of next year. ''I am sure we will succeed this time,'' RIA Novosti – citing earlier, failed, attempts to bring F1 to Russia – quoted a project manager.