25/06/2013
NEWS STORY
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Preparations for the upcoming Russian Grand Prix, which will be held in 2014 at the Sochi Olympic Park, are well underway according to members of "Formula Sochi", a department of the OJSC "Center Omega" in charge of organising the event.
Asked if there were plans to attract foreign partners for consultation on the event, Oleg Zabara, Deputy General Director said: "Our goal is to stage the Russian Grand Prix at the highest level. We will use international experience and cooperate with Russian as well as foreign experts.
"Our foreign partner, a true professional, who has extensive experience in organizing and staging races, will be involved in the project. Negotiations with him are at the final stage.”
When asked about a long-term future for the event, Zabara said: "We have no doubt that Formula 1 is a profitable project for Krasnodar Region and Russia. Sochi is well known among the global community as an Olympic city. Therefore, tourists from different countries will come to visit the Grand Prix - one of the most popular sports in the world.
"The unique environmental and infrastructure opportunities are important advantage for Krasnodar Region as the best place for sports events and tourism. Representation of Russia as the target market for car manufacturers and sports marketing sponsors will attract investments and provide economic benefit to the Region.
"We have signed a seven-year contract to stage the Grand Prix commencing 2014, I'm sure the Russian Grand Prix will be organized on time and remain on the calendar for a long time."
Asked when an official FOM delegation will next visit the track, Zabara revealed: "Official FOM delegations regularly visit the track. We are jointly engaged in the work on security systems, electronics, etc. The track is being built according to all the necessary requirements. We receive delegations to prepare for inspection commissions. The recent visit of Sebastian Vettel has shown that you can already go for a spin on some track sections."
Asked what changes to the circuit and its facilities have been made since Vettel's visit in April, Galina Chumakova, Chief of the department for construction and development of the project, replied: "The works continue to move forward in accordance with the construction schedule: Facades works and interior decoration of team building, medical centre and pit building; concrete-frame building installations works of the main grandstand; The laying of storm-water drainage and asphalt base course of the race track; Engineering systems works of the medical centre, pit building and team building.
"Special techniques are used for the laying of asphalt base course, which is a unique multicomponent mixture with mineral admixtures. Only a few companies in the world have sufficient experience in laying of this asphalt."
Asked what infrastructure facilities will be finalised after the Olympics and Paralympics, he replied: "The works on the interior decoration of the main grandstand, the asphalt carpet cutting of the race track with the laying of specialized asphalt surface course will be carried out after the Olympic Games. Safety fence and other infrastructure of the race track will be installed. The race control system installation will be carried out.
Vasily Belikov, a building inspection engineer of Orgtehstroy, a company, involved in the control of compliance with design decisions of Tilke GmbH & Co. KG, is fully confident the circuit will be ready for the 2014 event.
"The construction of the circuit must meet special requirements: strict standards for ground control point adherence of the race track, high requirements for evenness of the asphalt surface. The asphalt carpet coat and the composition of asphalt have special characteristics. The inspections revealed minor deviations, which promptly rectified by the contracting organization and submitted to design institutes for approval.
"We inspect the track daily. Our working day is around eight hours including six spent on the site. For example, the stamp test of road pavement is being carried out on the track now.
"I've been working at the Olympic Park since last year. My colleagues and I are pleased to be a part of such large-scale and challenging projects as the Olympic Games and Formula 1 Championship. We are all planning to attend the race in Sochi."