MOSCOW, June 25 (R-Sport) - The Black Sea resort city of Sochi, set to host the first modern Russian Grand Prix motor race next year, is in Formula One for the long haul, an official said Tuesday.
A track is being built around the city's Olympic Park after then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed a seven-year hosting agreement with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone in 2010.
"I'm absolutely sure that Formula One will set in for a long time," said Oleg Zabara, an official with the Krasnodar regional administration. "Tourists from all over the world will come to the Russian Formula One stage."
The circuit, designed by regular F1 architect Hermann Tilke, is comparatively long at 5.9 kilometers and includes a 1.7-kilometer section on public roads.
The first-ever Russian Grand Prix is penciled in for fall 2014 at the Sochi track, which winds around six of the venues for next February’s Winter Olympics.
