F1 ’fully open’ to Russian team - Brawn

Formula 1 is "fully open" to welcoming a new Russian team to the sport, according to sporting boss Ross Brawn.

Rumours about Russian interest have been circulating for some time, especially since last September, when trade minister Denis Manturov said a Russian team is "not far off".

Around the same time, SMP Bank founder Boris Rotenberg, who backs Sergey Sirotkin, said: "Do we want to create a Formula 1 team? I think the more teams there are, the more opportunities there will be for our drivers."

Brawn says he would be open to the idea of a Russian team, but only once the coronavirus crisis is behind Formula 1.

"We need a period of stability after this global pandemic and we also want to ensure the new rules settle down from 2022," he is quoted by RT.

"We have a great grid with ten exciting teams and it is not essential to increase this number. However, the new economic climate within Formula 1, budget caps and a more fairly distributed prize fund makes an investment in a Formula 1 team far more attractive," Brawn added.

"If there was interest from a Russian team or any other that we thought was sustainable then we would be fully open to exploring the opportunity."