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 the sport from ongoing political debates. With Russia facing increased economic sanctions from the European Union and United States, deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak noted that the Grand Prix would not be affected in the event such sanctions were implemented, and the race went ahead as scheduled. Both Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Kozak were in attendance, with Putin presenting the race winner's trophy. The GP2 and GP3 Series—a pair of feeder championships for drivers preparing for Formula One—also made their début at the circuit, racing in support of the Grand Prix as the penultimate round of the 2014 GP2 and