Russia GP rejects Liberty’s gravel run-off plan

Race organisers in Sochi have rejected Liberty Media’s request to add gravel traps to the F1 track ahead of the Russian GP in September.

"The organisers of the championship want to increase the entertainment on the tracks, so we were asked to replace the asphalt run-off with gravel in some corners," Sergey Vorobyov, head of the promoter Rosgonki, told Forbes Russia.

"But for us this is unacceptable," he revealed.

"The F1 race is on one weekend, but the circuit operates all year round and it should also be friendly to private and corporate clients.

"An amateur car crashing into gravel is guaranteed to damage the paintwork," Vorobyov added.

It is the second time Sochi organisers have clashed with Liberty Media recently, after a request to swap the race date with China amid the coronavirus crisis was reportedly also rejected.

Referring again to the request for gravel run-off, Vorobyov continued: "They (Liberty) promised to think about it and come back with other suggestions, but so far they have not.

"Operators of several other races, for example France and Abu Dhabi, are in a similar situation," he added.