The Sirius Autodrom (), known before 2024 as Sochi Autodrom () and originally 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 (Latin script: ), meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbr ...

next to the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea 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 bound ...

resort city of

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and is administratively a part of the Southern Federal District. Its administrative center is the t ...

, 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 (urban-type settlement), Sirius in Imeretinsky Valley, on the coast of the Black Sea. The Olympic Park houses the main Olympic Stadium ...

site, scene of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. The

TCR International Series The TCR International Series was an international Touring car racing, touring car championship. The championship was promoted by World Sporting Consulting (WSC), founded by former World Touring Car Championship manager Marcello Lotti. It was ma ...

raced at Sochi in 2015 and 2016. The inaugural World Championship Russian Grand Prix took place in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, 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, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

Development

Earlier the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

was given the power to delay the race until

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

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 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 of the ...

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 in Belgium, Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan and

Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-southwest of Towcester and northeast of Brackley, both accessed via the A43 road, A43 main ...

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 The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

that have hosted competitions in ice hockey, speed skating, curling, figure skating, short track etc., and Fisht Olympic Stadium 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, 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 using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

, heading southwest towards the

coast. Then it runs along the outer edge of the central Sochi Medals Plaza, 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. 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. Then it passes the

skating Skating involves any sports or recreational activity which consists of traveling on surfaces or on ice using skates, and may refer to: Ice skating *Ice skating, moving on ice by using ice skates **Figure skating, a sport in which individuals, ...

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

. With international championships leaving Russia it was decided to dismantle the big circuit, leaving only the short layout where turn 1 is connected to turn 13. The last race at the old layout, which was the Russian Endurance Cup, took place 4 November 2023; the grand prix circuit was closed 6 November and the shorter layout was started to be primarily used from 15 December. On 1 April 2024 the Sochi Autodrom was renamed to Sirius Autodrom, after the

urban-type settlement Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...

which was built near the Olympic Park back in 2020.

Events

; Former * Ferrari Challenge Europe (2016) *

FIA Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship (F2) is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on road racing, racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the re ...

** '' Sochi Formula 2 round'' (2018–2021) *

FIA Formula 3 Championship The FIA Formula 3 Championship (FIA F3) is a third-tier international Open wheel car, single-seater racing championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for ...

(2019, 2021) *

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

** '' Russian Grand Prix'' (2014–2021) * G-Drive SMP F4 Cup (2024) *

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 Ecc ...

(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 the ...

(2014–2015, 2018) *

Russian Circuit Racing Series The Russian Circuit Racing Series (RCRS) is a national Russian racing series created in 2004. It started with four classes: touring, super-production, touring-light, and national class; and national-junior was added in 2015. Sergei Krylov (racin ...

(2014–2016, 2018–2019, 2021, 2023) * SMP F4 Championship (2015–2017) *

(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. As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Sirius Autodrom are listed as:

Notes

References

External links

Sochi Autodrom photos

OMEGA Center (official development site)

Sochi Autodrom Guide

Sochi Autodrom on Google Maps (Current Formula 1 Tracks)
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