Sochi priority for 2014 is Olympics, not F1 - official

The contract for the inaugural Russian grand prix in 2014 allows for a postponement in the event that preparations for the Winter Olympics in the same city of Sochi are disrupted.

Earlier in December, the resort city’s mayor admitted that the F1 race could be put back to 2015, amid the International Olympic Committee’s fears that Sochi has taken on too ambitious a calendar.

The Sochi Olympics’ organising committee chief Dimitry Chernyshenko admitted on Friday that if resources are stretched, F1 will take a back seat.

He told insidethegames.biz that prime minister Vladimir Putin’s priority for 2014 is the Games.

Chernyshenko revealed that he has "reassurances from our state leaders that if there should be some minor concerns (about) clashes with these two projects, then - in accordance to the contract between the host organisation and formula one owners - the first (F1) competition could hold on until 2015".

"The Olympics will come first," he confirmed.

Sochi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov said two weeks ago that he didn’t predict "any slippage" of the inaugural Russian GP to 2015.

"We foresee the base requirements of the track being completed approximately one year prior to the first race being held," he said.