Formula 1’s governing body the FIA is to hold an “extraordinary meeting” of the World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday amid calls from the IOC to ban Russian athletes.
The announcement follows Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last Thursday, which has seen a number of major sporting events and championships, due to take place in the country later this year, moved elsewhere.
F1 has already taken action to distance the series from Russia by confirming the Russian Grand Prix will not go ahead at the Sochi Autodrom in September.
The Ukraine Federation has already led calls to enforce a ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors from international sporting events, including those run by the FIA – a recognised federation by the IOC since 2012.
The International Olympic Committee followed this up by recommending that no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials should take part in international competitions.
In a short statement issued by an FIA spokesperson on Monday evening, it revealed the WMSC would meet to discuss all matters relating to the ongoing conflict.
“An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council will be convened tomorrow to discuss matters relating to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine,” the statement reads, as quoted by Motorsport.com.
“Further updates will be given following the meeting.”
The outcome of the meeting could spell the end of Haas driver Nikita Mazepin’s F1 career if a ban is imposed on all Russian competitors in motorsport.
Speculation over Mazepin’s future was already up in the air after Haas removed the branding of title sponsor Uralkali, who is co-owned by his father, on his final day of testing in Barcelona last week.
Haas team principal Gunther Steiner said it would discuss the matter in the coming days, and was clear Mazepin’s future with the team “needed to be resolved”.
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