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| Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Image source: worldalldetails.com) |
Think this year's inaugural Russian Grand Prix on
the streets of Sochi, sight of the 2014 Winter Olympics is the country's
debutant Formula 1 race? Well then think again Y'all!
and whilst
I'll try refraining from going A-L-L Politico' on Yuhs, I simply
cannot overlook my disdain for Vladimir Putin due to his and his nation's
DISGUSTING Homophobia! Thus, naturally,
I've got to get a few Digs in, right?
Alas, I Was surprised to discover the
following when originally digging around for material in regards to the 40th
Anniversary of aspiring French F1 racer Francois Cevert's death, which was to
lead to another story languishing here in Nofendersville that was never
published by Mwah, albeit the late Cevert's yarn did make the cut - which I
briefly chronicled in;
Cevert's story was to be part of a hundred
year's look back over time related to motorsports activities formatted around
the number three and hence, I was surprised to discover the following when
quickly scouring the 1913 Grand Prix season, especially as imminent war clouds were
slowly gathering steam in Europe!
Nevertheless motor racing continued on
oblivious to what was to come in 1914 with the assassination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand (of Austria)
and Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, his wife, being the powder-keg that prompted the beginning of
World War I on June 28th of that year in Europe.
And while there were few races for Motoring
enthusiasts to choose from in 1913, the one I've never heard about was Russia's
inaugural Grand Prix, which contrary to popular belief won't be this year's
Russian Grand Prix in Sochi; provided Commissar Putin hasn't engulfed the
region in a full blown war against Ukraine! As even the horrific and unprovoked
shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines MH17 civilian airplane won't stop
Formula One's circus from performing in Mother Russia; Hey! After all, Uncle
Bernaughty's gotta get paid to make up
for bribing the German courts Ja Volt!
And whilst the economic sanctions continue
upon both sides of the global stage, wouldn't it be nice to see the
Russian-flagged Marussia Racing's American Reserve Driver Alexander Rossi
running during FP1 (Free Practice) on the Streets of Sochi; but I digress...
Alas, in contrast to Mother Russia's
inaugural Grand Prix, taking place upon the streets of St Petersburg just over
a century ago, the 500-mile International sweepstakes race known popularly today
as thee Indy 500 was running its third event on Friday, May 30th, which was won
by Jules Goux aboard a Peugeot along with his riding
mechanic Emil
Begin; as Goux's victory
was the first for a foreign (Non-American) driver at Mother Speedway...
Meanwhile, winning that year's (1913) inaugural
Russian Grand Prix was the relatively unknown and obscure, today chauffer Georgy Suvorin, appropriately
hailing from Russia.
And ironically, exactly 100-years ago, the
second and final Russian Grand Prix was being held with the German driver Willy
Scholl victorious.
Both pre-modern, nee FIA World Championship
events held in St Petersburg were won by Benz's, the automotive manufacturer
predecessor to today's Mercedes Benz, commonly known as Mercedes - which would
dovetail nicely with one of the 'Uber Dominant silver Arrows seeing the
chequered flag first in Sochi.
As the Russian Grand Prix, along with all
European motor racing came to a crashing halt with the aforementioned outbreak
of WWI, albeit the United States would continue blissfully motoring on until
its involvement in the first great war in 1917...
MODERN DAY VENUES
In 2008,
what was then originally projected as Russia's future Formula 1 venue,
groundbreaking occurred in the Volokolamsky District of Moscow,
for what would become today's Moscow Raceway, which naturally was designed by
F1's "Proprietary" Grand Prix track architect 'Tilkie, a euphemism
from vanquished COTA F1 race founder Tavo Hellmund, now working on
Mexico's behalf, whose father was the previous Mexican Grand Prix promoter
along with the (CART) IndyCar races between 1980-81. As Tavo's twang' always
pops-up upon my memory banks when thinking of Yuhs guessed I-T; Yep! The German
racing circuit designer known as Herman Tilke.
Construction of the multiple layouts varying
between 10, 14 and 15-turns permanent Road Course circuit was completed towards
the end of Sept, 2011, at a cost of $150-million, with its debutant race being
the fifth round of the World Series by
Renault on July 13, 2012.
Although intended for Formula 1 use,
apparently the circuit didn't get the necessary license and instead hosts other
racing series including FIA GT1, Formula Renault 3.5, WTCC, DTM and World
Superbikes to name just a few, albeit the latter cancelled its race this year
in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which nobody wishes to acknowledge
its 15 active Nuclear Reactors inside said conflict zone...
Thus, as we all know, Uncle Bernaughty and
the FIA have since focused their Attenzione upon the Black Sea resort area of
Sochi, who's infrastructure used for this year's Winter Olympics will now serve
as the backdrop for the latest iteration of the Russian Grand Prix, which was certified by Charlie Whiting last
month, and is "Good-to-Go!"
As Y'all can check out the first lap driven on
Sochi's new racetrack by Seb' Vettel in an Infiniti Q50 Hybrid; which although it's
got a high amount of buffeting noise on the video, it's pretty entertaining
hearing Vettel torture the SHIT outta the cars
tyres!
VIDEO: Lap of Sochi F1 Circuit
Yet not everybody's enthused about a Grand Prix
being held in Russia, naturally due to the current unrest in Ukraine. But be
assured, there's nothing political going on here, right? Oh Never Mind!
For
more Russian Racing fodder, profiling today's cadre of aspiring drivers, see; The 'Rooskie's Are Coming, The 'Rooskie's Are Coming!