Formula 1 will no longer race in Russia for the foreseeable future after the sport tore up its contract with the promoter of the Grand Prix.
The decision comes amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as sporting governing bodies continue to sanction the country for their escalating actions.
The Russian Grand Prix in Sochi was cancelled from the 2022 calendar in the wake of the war between Russia and Ukraine, but the sport has now taken the toughest stance possible by scrapping the meeting altogether.
A statement from the championship on Thursday read: "Formula 1 can confirm it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter meaning Russia will not have a race in the future."
The sport's contract with Russian GP promoter Rosgonki was due to expire in 2025 but that has now been brought forward with immediate effect.
Russian president Vladimir Putin was key in introducing the event to the sport back in 2014, but has now been punished for his decision to invade Ukraine.
F1 has been involved in discussions over the past few days over what action to take since deciding to cancel the 2022 race - and it was concluded that it wasn't tenable at all to stage the meeting in Russia following the escalating events.
The Russian GP is one of the most lucrative races on the F1 calendar and now the sport will be tasked with finding a replacement for the Sochi track.
The latest news will put more pressure on the FIA however, amid their stance on the matter.
The FIA confirmed on Tuesday that Haas' Russian driver Nikita Mazepin is still permitted to race in F1, but must do so under a neutral flag.
The governing body's statement read: "Russian/Belarusian drivers, individual competitors and officials to participate in international/zone competitions only in their neutral capacity and under the 'FIA flag', subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA’s principles of peace and political neutrality."
However, Mazepin's future remains under serious jeopardy and there could be plenty of twists and turns before the new campaign starts in Bahrain on the weekend of March 18-20.
