Putin backs 2021 Russian Grand Prix move to St Petersburg

Daily Mail are reporting exclusively that the president, "Vladimir Putin and Formula 1's power brokers are in advanced talks about staging a race in St Petersburg."

The report adds, "The Russian president is preparing to bankroll a new purpose-built circuit 15 miles or so outside the country's second-largest city. Should Putin decree it, the Russian Grand Prix would decamp from Sochi, where it will be held this weekend, to St Petersburg as soon as 2021."

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who took F1 to Russia, is also involved according to the report: "Ecclestone is a close personal friend of Putin and an avowed admirer of his presidency, and it is believed he will have been sounded out by the Kremlin over the likely switch of venues."

"Liberty Media, the sport's owners, and the FIA, the sport's regulators, are also keeping abreast of developments."

It is no secret that Liberty are keen to expand the sport into unchartered territory, Vietnam's race next year a case in point, and St. Petersburg ticks all the boxes of a 'big destination' venue which Chase Carey and his team are very keen to add to the calendar.

For the record, in 2010, Putin drove a Renault F1 car during a secret (at the time) test run during a day of driving on a race track near St Petersburg.