The Sochi Autodrom (russian: Сочи Автодром, Sochi Avtodrom), previously known as the Sochi International Street Circuit and the Sochi Olympic Park Circuit, is a permanent race track in the settlement of

Sirius Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CM ...

next to the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

resort town of Sochi in

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of ...

, Russia. The circuit runs around a former Olympic complex, the

Sochi Olympic Park Sochi Olympic Park () is an Olympic Park in Sochi, Russia. It situated in the urban-type settlement of Sirius in Imeretinsky Valley, on the coast of the Black Sea. The Olympic Park houses the main Olympic Stadium used for the Games' ceremonies ...

site, scene of the

2014 Winter Olympic Games , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympi ...

. The TCR International Series raced at Sochi in 2015 and 2016, with the TCR Russian Series and SMP F4 Championship as support series. The inaugural World Championship

Russian Grand Prix The Russian Grand Prix (russian: Гран-при России, Gran-pri Rossii) was an annual motor racing event held at Sochi Autodrom – a permanent circuit built around the Olympic Park in Sochi – as part of the Formula One World Champion ...

took place in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, with the circuit hosting the Grand Prix up to . The contract was terminated before the 2022 edition due to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

Development

Sochi Autodrom, July 10, 2018 SkySat (cropped)

Earlier the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

was given the power to delay the race until 2015 if preparations for the race interfered with the Winter Olympics, though the Games started without interruption. In October 2011, the Russian government set aside US$195.4 million for the construction of the circuit. The construction of the Sochi Olympic Park Circuit marked the end of a thirty-year campaign for a Russian Grand Prix, with plans for a "Grand Prix of the Soviet Union" originating as early as

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

before being abandoned for "bureaucratic reasons" and several failed attempts in the intervening years. The circuit received its final approval from the FIA in August 2014.

The circuit

The circuit was the fifth-longest circuit on the 2021 Formula One calendar, behind

Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...

in Belgium, Jeddah Street Circuit in Saudi Arabia,

Baku City Circuit The Baku City Circuit ( az, Bakı Şəhər Halqası) is a motor racing street circuit located in Baku, Azerbaijan constructed near Baku Boulevard. A lap of the circuit is , making it the third-longest circuit on the Formula One calendar (after C ...

in Azerbaijan and Silverstone in the UK. The circuit is built around the Sochi Olympic Park, that is the coastal cluster of Olympic venues built for the 2014 Winter Olympics that have hosted competitions in ice hockey, speed skating, curling, figure skating, short track etc., and

Fisht Olympic Stadium Fisht Olympic Stadium (russian: Олимпийский стадион «Фишт», p=ɐlʲɪmˈpʲijskʲɪj stədʲɪˈon ˈfʲiʂt, r=Olimpiyskiy stadion "Fisht", ''Olimpiyskiy Stadion Fisht'') is an outdoor stadium in Sochi, Russia. Located i ...

where Opening and Closing ceremonies were held. The surface was not laid until after the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics. Sochi adler aerial view 2018 15

The circuit, designed by German architect

Hermann Tilke Hermann Tilke (born 31 December 1954, in Olpe, Germany) is a German engineer, racing driver and circuit designer, who has designed numerous Formula One motor racing circuits. Racing During the 1980s, Tilke competed in touring car racing, mainly ...

, has the start grid on the northern edge of the Olympic Park next to the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, heading southwest towards the

coast. Then it runs along the outer edge of the central

Sochi Medals Plaza Centrally located within the Sochi Olympic Park sports venues, the Sochi Medals Plaza is located near the Fisht Olympic Stadium, the Black Sea coast and was the cauldron for the Olympic Flame. It is surrounded by a large water basin. Every night, ...

, that is the podium for Olympic medal ceremonies. The long Turn 3 has been compared to Turn 8 in Istanbul Park. Then, the track circles the plaza counterclockwise and makes three turns around the

Bolshoy Ice Dome The Bolshoy Ice Dome (russian: Большой Ледовый дворец) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Olympic Park, Sochi, Russia. Opened in 2012, the 12,000-seat arena was primarily constructed to host hockey competitions duri ...

. Then follow series of tight corners before turning north where the track skirts the edge of the Olympic Park, above the main Olympic Village and the

Adler Arena Skating Center The Adler Arena Trade And Exhibition Center (Адлер-Арена) is an 8,000-seat speed skating oval in the Olympic Park, Sochi, Russia. It opened in 2012 and looks like an iceberg or ice fault. The center hosted the speed skating events at the ...

. Then it passes the skating and curling centres, before funneling up behind the pit paddock toward the train station, and completing a circuit with two ninety-degree right turns. The circuit held the Russian Grand Prix from 2014 to 2021. The circuit was initially planned to be included in the 2022 Formula One calendar, but the Russian Grand Prix was suspended on 24 February 2022, then it was cancelled on 1 March 2022, due to the

Events

; Current * October: Russian Endurance Challenge ; Future * Russian Circuit Racing Series (2014–2016, 2018–2019, 2021, 2023) ; Former * Ferrari Challenge Europe (2016) *

FIA Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the l ...

(2018–2021) *

FIA Formula 3 Championship The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 W ...

(2019, 2021) *

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

'' (2014–2021) *

GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Eccles ...

(2014–2015) *

GP3 Series The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and th ...

(2014–2015, 2018) * SMP F4 Championship (2015–2017) * TCR International Series (2015–2016) * World Touring Car Cup '' FIA WTCR Race of Russia'' (2021)

Lap records

The official lap record for the current circuit layout is 1:35.761, set by Lewis Hamilton during the 2019 Russian Grand Prix. The official race lap records at the Sochi Autodrom are listed as:

References

External links