Russian Grand Prix expressed a desire to see Formula One travel to Russia at a circuit in or near Moscow or at the resort city of Sochi. After several decades of attempting to re-establish the race, the new Russian Grand Prix was officially announced on 14 October 2010 for a debut in 2014, running through 2020. The race is held in the resort city of Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, at the Sochi Autodrom – a 5.9 km street circuit which passes around the venues of Sochi's Olympic Park. The inaugural event was held on 12 October 2014, and
2014 Russian Grand Prix race to go ahead. In September 2014, the circuit hosted a round of the Russian Touring Car Championship as preparation for the Grand Prix. Following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 and amid allegations of Russian involvement in the incident and the Russian military intervention in the country, there were calls from the British Conservative Party for Formula One to abandon the race as part of sanctions placed on the Russian government, as the race was established with financial support from the government. Similar suggestions were made from British and German parliamentarians