FIA Won't Ban Russian F1 Drivers, But They Can't Compete Under Russian Flag

In the wake of Russia invading Ukraine, newly appointed FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced "an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council" held today specifically to discuss matters related to the conflict. The meeting yielded several official changes to Formula 1's season but did not include a ban of Russian and Belarusian team members. Instead, they will no longer be allowed to compete on behalf of those countries or fly their flags in FIA competition.

The call for a blanket ban on Russian athletes stemmed from the International Olympic Committee's announcement urging sports governing bodies to disallow all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating. The Automobile Federation of Ukraine also sent a similar request directly to Ben Sulayem. However, the FIA will still allow Russian and Belarusian drivers, team members, and officials to participate in series including Formula 1, so long as they compete under the FIA flag of official neutrality.