Located near Sochi on Russia’s Black Sea coast, the Sochi Autodrom was one of the newest venues to host a Formula One World Championship race. Built around the Sochi Olympic Park, which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the circuit combined permanent sections with roads weaving between Olympic stadiums and arenas.
Designed by Hermann Tilke, the track debuted on the Formula One calendar at the 2014 Russian Grand Prix and remained the event’s home until 2021. Its long sweeping third corner, fast straights, and tight technical sections gave it a distinctive rhythm among modern circuits.
Although the Grand Prix circuit is no longer used for international championships, the venue continues to operate in a shorter configuration, renamed Sirius Autodrom in 2024.
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Sochi
| First Grand Prix | 2014 Russian Grand Prix |
| Number of Laps | 53 |
| Circuit Length | 5.848 km |
| Race Distance | 309.745 km |
| Lap Record | 1:35.761 Lewis Hamilton (2019) |
Circuit
When was the Sochi Autodrom built?
Construction of the circuit began in July 2011, with the project closely tied to the development of infrastructure for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The circuit was built within the Sochi Olympic Park, which served as the coastal cluster of Olympic venues during the Games.
The track was designed by Hermann Tilke, a German architect responsible for many modern Formula One circuits. The layout was designed to weave between Olympic buildings such as the Bolshoy Ice Dome, Adler Arena, and Fisht Olympic Stadium, creating a hybrid venue that combines public roads with purpose-built track sections.
The circuit officially opened on 21 September 2014, just weeks before hosting its first Formula One race.
The original Grand Prix layout measured 5.848 kilometres (3.634 miles) and featured 18 turns, making it one of the longer circuits on the Formula One calendar. At the time of its final appearance in Formula One in 2021, it was the fifth-longest circuit on the championship schedule.
One of the most distinctive parts of the circuit was Turn 3, a long, sweeping left-hand corner that wrapped around the Olympic Medal Plaza and was often compared to Turn 8 at Istanbul Park. This corner placed heavy lateral loads on tyres and frequently determined early race positioning.
After Turn 3, the circuit threaded its way around several Olympic arenas before returning toward the pit straight via a sequence of tight ninety-degree corners.
When was the first Russian Grand Prix?
The Russian Grand Prix first took place at the circuit in 2014, marking the return of Formula One to Russia after decades of unsuccessful attempts to establish a race in the country.
Plans for a Russian Formula One race had existed as far back as 1983, when proposals for a Soviet Grand Prix were considered but eventually abandoned due to bureaucratic complications. Numerous other projects failed over the following decades before the Sochi circuit finally became a reality.
The inaugural race was held shortly after the Olympic Games and formed part of a long-term contract to host Formula One in Russia.
The circuit hosted the Russian Grand Prix every year from 2014 to 2021, as well as several support categories including Formula 2, Formula 3, GP2, and GP3.
However, the race was removed from the Formula One calendar in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the contract with Formula One was subsequently terminated.
Transformation into Sirius Autodrom
With international motorsport series no longer visiting Russia, the large Grand Prix layout was discontinued.
In November 2023, the final race on the original Grand Prix configuration took place, and the circuit was reconfigured into a shorter permanent layout by linking Turn 1 with Turn 13, effectively removing much of the Olympic Park section.
This shorter track measures 2.313 kilometres, with 11 turns, and is used primarily for domestic racing series.
On 1 April 2024, the venue was officially renamed Sirius Autodrom, reflecting the administrative district of Sirius, a recently established settlement near the Olympic Park.
Sochi lap record
For the Formula One Grand Prix layout (2014–2023), the official race lap record is 1:35.761, set by Lewis Hamilton driving a Mercedes W10 during the 2019 Russian Grand Prix.