The Russian Grand Prix was run twice, first in 1913 and again in 1914, on a circuit in Saint Petersburg. The 1913 race was won by Georgy Suvorin in a Benz, finishing in 2:23:54.6, with Ivan Ivanov (Russo-Balt) second and René Nothombe (Métallurgique) third. Willy Scholl won the 1914 race, also in a Benz, in 1:48:32.2, ahead of Stepan Ovsyannikov (Vauxhall) and Eugenio Beria d'Argentine (Aquila Italiana). Following the outbreak of the First World War and the subsequent Russian Civil War, the race was abandoned and was not resumed after the abolition of the Russian Empire and the establishment of the Soviet Union.
Plans for a Grand Prix in Russia emerged in the early 1980s under the title "Grand Prix of the Soviet Union," included on a provisional calendar for 1983 to be held on 21 August. Bureaucratic barriers prevented the race from taking place. Bernie Ecclestone continued to seek a race behind the Iron Curtain; Hungary became the first communist country to host a Formula One race, joining the calendar in 1986. The Soviet Union collapsed at the end of 1991 without ever having hosted a Grand Prix.
In 2001, President Vladimir Putin expressed personal support for the "Pulkovskoe Ring" project near Pulkovo Airport, though the race never came to fruition. A 2003 attempt involving a Moscow council-approved track in the Molzhaninovsky District was abandoned after a dispute over the commercial contract. In September 2008, work was announced on a circuit at the village of Fedyukovo in Volokolamsky District, approximately 77 kilometres from Moscow. This circuit, known as the Moscow Raceway and designed by Hermann Tilke, was completed and in 2012 hosted rounds of the Formula Renault 3.5 and 2.0 Series — the first internationally accredited motorsport events to hold a round in Russia — as well as the FIA GT1 World Championship and the Superbike World Championship. A Formula One race at the Moscow Raceway was never realised.
Vitaly Petrov became Russia's first Formula One driver in 2010, joining Renault, adding further momentum to the project. The new Russian Grand Prix was officially announced on 14 October 2010 for a debut in 2014, running through to 2020.
The race was held in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, at the Sochi Autodrom — a 5.9 km street circuit passing around the venues of the Olympic Park.
The inaugural event was held on 12 October 2014 and was won by Lewis Hamilton, followed by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, and Valtteri Bottas of Williams. The result also secured Mercedes' first constructors' title in Formula One.
The 2015 race on 11 October saw Rosberg take pole position before retiring in the early stages with a faulty throttle. Hamilton took the win ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari and Sergio Pérez of Force India. A late collision between Kimi Räikkönen and Bottas while battling for third handed Pérez third place, with Bottas retiring and Räikkönen receiving a 30-second post-race penalty. Mercedes secured their second consecutive constructors' championship at this event.
The 2016 event on 1 May featured a crash at Turn 2 on the opening lap that eliminated Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Gutiérrez, and Rio Haryanto. Vettel was struck in the rear by Daniil Kvyat going into Turn 2 and hit again at Turn 3, causing him to spin and crash out. The following Thursday, Red Bull announced Kvyat's demotion back to Toro Rosso, with 18-year-old Dutchman Max Verstappen taking his seat. Rosberg won the race, with Hamilton second in a Mercedes one-two.
At the 2017 event on 30 April, Bottas secured his first Formula One victory, taking the lead ahead of Vettel and Räikkönen, who had locked out the front row but were both passed by Bottas on the run to Turn 2. Fernando Alonso was unable to start due to a power unit problem. Romain Grosjean and Jolyon Palmer were eliminated in a collision that launched the Haas car into the air; both drivers escaped unhurt. Bottas won by just 0.7 seconds from Vettel, with Räikkönen setting the fastest lap.
The 2018 race on 30 September had been moved from its April slot to fill the vacancy left by the 2017 discontinuation of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Bottas took pole position, one year after securing his first victory at the circuit.
In the 2019 Russian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc took pole ahead of Hamilton and Vettel. Vettel jumped both into Turn 2 and led until lap 26, when he suffered an MGU-K failure. A lap later, George Russell crashed at Turn 9, attributed by Williams to a wheel nut failure, prompting Robert Kubica to retire to conserve parts. After a safety car period, Hamilton won, with Bottas and Leclerc completing the podium.
In 2021, a contract was signed with the intention of moving the event to Igora Drive, located approximately 54 km north of Saint Petersburg, from 2023 onwards. Igora Drive, opened in 2019, was to have its layout extended from 4.086 km and 15 turns to 5.182 km and 19 turns in time for the 2023 race.
On 24 February 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Formula One suspended the Grand Prix contract, stating it would be "impossible to hold it under the current circumstances." World Champions Vettel and Verstappen had each previously called for the race's cancellation. The 2022 race was officially cancelled on 1 March 2022. On 3 March 2022, Formula One announced that the contract to hold the Russian Grand Prix had been terminated entirely.
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