It has been more than five days since Russia launched a special military operation into Ukraine, backed by Belarus, which drew widespread condemnation.
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Russian and Belarussian drivers will not be barred from competing in FIA-sanctioned events in response to their countries’ invasion of Ukraine, but they will not be wearing national flags or colours. Following a meeting on Tuesday, the FIA announced that drivers from Russia and Belarus will be required to race under FIA flags as their nationalities, and they will be prohibited from using their respective nations’ imagery on their equipment or on the podium during international races.
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It has been more than five days since Russia launched a special military operation into Ukraine, backed by Belarus, which drew widespread condemnation. While Ukrainians have taken up arms in defence of their country and many countries have imposed sanctions on the aggressor, various sporting bodies have moved events away from Russia or begun considering restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes. The Federation Automobile D’Ukraine (FAU), Ukraine’s racing sanctioning body, wrote a letter to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem urging the organisation to ban Russo-Belarusian symbols, remove races held in those countries, and even go so far as to bar drivers with licences from those countries. The World Motor Sport Council met on Tuesday to deliberate before issuing its final decision.
The FIA has ruled that national teams from Russia and Belarus can compete in international events such as the FIA Motorsport Games indefinitely. Russian and Belarussian FIA members have also been ordered to temporarily step down from their positions and will not receive FIA grants pending approval from the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism.
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“As you know, the FIA is watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and I hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation,” FIA president Sulayem stated. “We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our thoughts are with all those suffering as a result of the events in Ukraine. I would like to stress that the FIA, together with our promoters, proactively acted on this matter last week and communicated accordingly on the Formula 1, Formula 2, WTCR and the International Drifting Cup. An updated version of the different FIA International Calendars will be presented to the WMSC meeting in Bahrain for approval.”
“I want to thank the Council members for their prompt action in deciding these measures in the interests of sport and peace. We stand in solidarity with Leonid Kostyuchenko, the President of the Federation Automobile d’Ukraine (FAU) and the wider FIA family in the country. The measures taken today recognise the authority of the FAU in Ukraine and are also aligned with the recommendations recently made by the International Olympic Committee. We are in active discussions with our members as we continue to extend our compassion and support in their time of need. We sincerely hope for a peaceful resolution to their intolerable hardship,” he added.
