The sports world condemned the invasion of Russia a Ukraine. The competitions either excluded competitors or required them to compete under a neutral flag. The Formula 1 was no exception (Nikita Mazepin was fired accordingly), although for Vitaly Petrovthey should re-admit Russia to the championship.
The Russian, an expilot who spent three seasons at the ‘Gran Circo’, commented in an interview with ‘Sport-Express’ that he does not consider the titles valid since everything that happened: “Without Russia, I do not consider any title or any champion valid. We need to stop being afraid and for Russia to return to world sport”.
“It’s sad that motorsport is like this now, but if the strongest drivers also compete in Russia, the global level will improve. People would try different categories, we would see new cars and there would be more audience. We can use the current situation to guide young people to go far in the future,” he added.
Despite the fact that it does not seem that the readmission of Russia will be in the near future, Petrov has encouraged young Russian drivers who want to reach Formula 1: “This isolation won’t last forever. I understand that it is complicated, but no one should throw in the towel. They need to be patient, train and believe, so that when the opportunity to come back comes, we are all ready.”
