Sochi F1 track to get FIA licence: official

Moscow: The Formula One track in Russia`s Black Sea city of Sochi has been given the green light by F1 race director and safety delegate Charlie Whiting.

"The circuit is in very good condition and will be issued with a (FIA) license," said Whiting, in Sochi with an inspection team from the world motorsport`s governing body, the FIA. The inspection team visited the recent host city of the Winter Olympics to evaluate the quality of the track and the venue itself to ensure that it fit the purpose of hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix race, scheduled for October 10-12. On arrival in Sochi, Whiting, who is also the head of the F1 technical department, said he had been impressed with the Sochi track`s safety systems. "We`re happy about the safety here. It`s absolutely first class, I could not describe it any better than that,"the Sochi Autodrom quoted Whiting as saying on its website. "We`ve done lots of simulations on the track... and we are entirely confident that Sochi Autodrom is absolutely first-class when it comes to safety." Whiting said he believes that the inaugural Russian GP will be a success. "I think, it`s going to be a spectacular race and I`m really looking forward to it," he said. "The track itself is going to be really fast and the drivers will love it. I`m sure of that. "