Kvyat refuses to sign the FIA document and will not race in 2022
Daniil Kvyat refused to sign the FIA code of conduct for Russian drivers following the invasion of Ukraine. The driver stood behind the decision of his new endurance team, G-Drive, who also chose to withdraw from racing.
In response to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the FIA recently published a code of conduct for Russian drivers. Although they are not being excluded from the sport as is the case in many other disciplines, their rights are restricted by the International Federation.
Some athletes opposed it, such as Daniil Kvyat. The driver, who raced in Formula 1 between 2014 and 2020, refused to sign the document. The Russian had committed to Endurance racing this season with G-Drive and was supposed to experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the end, none of this will happen for him, as his new team, also Russian, has decided to withdraw from the World Endurance Championship following measures taken by the FIA. G-Drive is owned by the Gazprom group, an energy supplier majority-owned by the Russian state and targeted by economic sanctions from Western countries. German football club Schalke 04 had already terminated its partnership with Gazprom a few days ago.
It is the director of G-Drive and also a driver, Roman Rusinov, who announced the news on his Instagram account. Today, as a driver for the Russian team G-Drive Racing, I have refused to accept the discriminatory conditions set by the FIA. The goal of every athlete is to hear their national anthem on a podium. In 10 years of international experience, our team has achieved this several times.
« We waved the Russian flag, heard and sang the Russian anthem. For the sake of my fans, my teammates, and sporting honor, I will not sign this document. I would prefer not to race at all. The team has always been international, with drivers, mechanics, and engineers coming from different countries around the world. And if we had asked everyone to give up their flag, their experience, and their name, there would not have been such victories and camaraderie. […] I sincerely hope that we will be able to return to international motor racing once the spirit and fairness of the sport are guaranteed », he wrote.
Daniil Kvyat has backed Roman Rusinov and his team and therefore refuses to sign the FIA code of conduct. The Russian is expected to have a year without driving. A setback in the career of someone who was still an Alpine reserve driver just a few months ago.
