Preparations for the first ever Russian GP are on track, President Vladimir Putin told F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. The October 10 to 12 race meet, the first on Russian soil, will take place at the Sochi Olympic Park in the Black Sea resort, where athletes this week began competing in the Paralympic Games. Putin, under international pressure over the situation in neighbouring Ukraine, where thousands of pro-Russia troops have fanned out across the Crimean peninsula, told Ecclestone the race would be a good use of the specially-built Olympic venue. "It allows us to use the infrastructure more effectively once these big competitions come to an end," he said. Putin acknowledged that...
Full Story »