Ukraine minister condemns Motorsport's decision to lift Russian ban

Ukrainian Minister for Youth and Sport Matvii Bidnyi

Ukraine’s Minister for Youth and Sports, Matvii Bidnyi, has condemned the decision by motorsport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, to lift its ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors.

The restrictions were introduced in February 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The FIA World Motor Sport Council subsequently voted to lift the restrictions on August 3, following a similar decision by the International Olympic Committee.

Bidnyi said the reasons that led to the original ban remained in place, arguing that Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine made the easing of restrictions inappropriate.

As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, Bidnyi said, “The reasons why Russia was banned from international sports competition have not disappeared. Nothing changes and it became even worse.”