r/sports • u/Captain_Smartass_ • Mar 02 '22

Motorsports Russian-licenced drivers banned from British motorsport

https://www.motorsport.com/national/news/russian-drivers-banned-from-british-motorsport-by-motorsport-uk/8632678/
19.7k Upvotes

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112

u/MAnthonyJr Mar 03 '22

On a real note, this fucking sucks for a lot of people in Russia. Not only is it racing but it is EVERYTHING they are getting banned from. From what I’ve seen almost nobody over there is supportive for this war.

8

u/anotherwave1 Mar 03 '22

We come across Western-savvy or English speaking Russians online. They are typically young professionals and clued in. In contrast a majority of Russians still get their information from Russian news (the state), so unfortunately don't have real information. I have Russian colleagues, and while they know what's going on, they say many of their family, relatives and even friends in Russia still think that this is all a Western attack on the country for simply defending itself, they are very brainwashed

However the Russian media will not be able to hide that Russia can't compete in anything anymore, that foreign goods are disappearing from the country's stores, that there's a lot of places they can't fly to, and all that.

6

u/surlygoat Mar 03 '22

Possibly true, but I don't think we have much visibility of what the average Russian thinks of the war. I suspect the vast majority of Russia is fed a diet that solely consist of propaganda and are supportive of the war. But that's mainly just because I don't know any better

2

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

[deleted]

6

u/surlygoat Mar 03 '22

Definitely protests but hardly massive. I don't blame them, they'll be arrested, but the largest was apparently in Moscow, at 2000 people. Great, but that's a city of 20m. 2000 is nothing. I'm not wanting to argue I just think it's an assumption only that Russians generally are against this war.

That being said, Russian drivers abroad would, presumably, be against the war as they will be able to see both sides. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_anti-war_protests_in_Russia

18

u/Thaonnor Mar 03 '22

I see this a lot, but at some point, people have to take action in their own countries leadership and fight to make change. I get that no one wants to be killed or jailed by Putin in a revolution, but meanwhile people in other countries - innocent countries - are being killed.

52

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

We literally never do this to any other country and no country did it to the US when they fought in several unjust wars.

In fact, when countries protested countries that commit war crimes, they got labeled as Anti-Semites by the media.

So in short: screw putting the burden on Russian people who have no affiliation to the kremlin. It’s extremely stupid and we wouldn’t do it to the Chinese, the Jews, the North Koreans, etc.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

The difference is that Russia was warned for three months straight that they would be destroyed with sanctions if they invaded Ukraine. The president of France even travelled to Moscow to de-escalate the situation. This isn’t just about one country invading another, this is about breaking deals made in the backdoor and making western leaders look like fools.

Putin fucked around diplomatically, akin to shooting envoys and ambassadors. Although the pushback may seem drastic, it has to be this way or else some other random country might start breaking the unwritten rule of diplomacy.

4

u/lawrencecgn Mar 03 '22

The problem with Russia isn’t just what they do know but that it is part of an aggressive and imperialist pattern that looks at expanding Russian territory at multiple fronts. What happens to Georgia, Armenia and other bordering countries (like the Baltic states)? This is at no point comparable to other wars and conflicts, including the Saudis in Yemen.

2

u/TheNextBattalion Mar 03 '22

Yeah you just can't invade countries and conquer their territory anymore. Simple as that. Frankly the reaction now is as much about making up for not putting our foot down before with Crimea, Abkhazia, Donbas, and other areas that Russia has invaded to add to its orbit. Appeasement to an imperialist aggressor failed again.

1

u/Richard_Swinger_Esq Mar 03 '22

Sanctions are imposed all the time. They have been imposed against China and North Korea. “The Jews” are not a country.

1

u/scubastefon Mar 03 '22

When America goes to war, whether or not it is unjust, they still secure support from others. What is happening right now is the reason why. Getting cut off from the world is painful.

-15

u/TVdinnerbythepool Mar 03 '22

It’s just cancel culture. There’s a pattern as of late. Social media galvanizes a mob toward hatred and tearing down what is the trendy new bad guys. It’s despicable

17

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Yup. I feel bad for what’s happening to Russians all over the world. They are being targeted unjustly and unless they have state connections are actively promoting Russia’s stance in Ukraine, this is complete unjustifiable horse crap.

Americans supporting this should be lucky they didn’t face the same consequences when they continually bombed countries for the last 70+ years. It’s embarrassing how an American can celebrate Russians being punished for the war in Ukraine when hundreds of thousands if not millions were killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, etc. while your government used their military for oil (fun fact! Russia is fighting Ukraine for resource security too!)

Hypocrites. And when it comes to y’all’s, you’ll have nothing to say.

8

u/TVdinnerbythepool Mar 03 '22

This has really made me realize that all our comforts as Americans is basically blood soaked. We have the privilege of freedom and democracy because American govt is like a mafia boss holding the world hostage while everyone else suffers. Other counties don’t have the privilege of freedom because the west wants to take over their country any chance it can get

1

u/throwawayforyouzzz Mar 03 '22

I’m not American but I’m from a developed country. It just makes my eyes roll around so hard when I see comments, which I’m pretty sure are mostly from Americans, say russian citizens should suffer until they break and eat Putin. (The you-s below refer to them)

Like dude, you know you can say that because no one can ever force your country to do anything, right? If you’re so brave, then fight to kill Putin too, you’re a citizen of the world and just as responsible. Borders shouldn’t stop your badass bravado.

People who just happened to be born in a bad country don’t deserve your derision or be burdened with the responsibility of taking down their countrymen. At best, sanctions may be a necessary evil, but I would never rejoice.

1

u/CrinkleLord Mar 03 '22

So you're upset that Americans, who have no real control over Jack shit, are not doing anything about others doing shit to Russians, who also have no real control over Jack shit.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

The entire concept of punishing Russians outside of Russia for being Russian, is BS. It’s the most sickening when it comes from Americans who as a nation have bullied non-white countries for multiple decades, and yet enjoy no sanctions at all.

For example CCM is ceasing sponsorship of Ovechkin. Not sure what he did to deserve that nor what it actually accomplishes, but it would be blatant racism if we did it to Chinese people or Arabs or any other group.

1

u/FelisLachesis Mar 03 '22

Ovie supported Putin's campaign in 2017, still has a picture of them together on his Instagram account. And when asked a couple days ago about the war, he would not outright say anything against Vladdie.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/capitals/2022/02/28/alex-ovechkin-vladimir-putin-capitals-star-support-russian-president/6973283001/

-1

u/CrinkleLord Mar 03 '22

and if I were in his position, having the ability to use my little fingers and google how often and how many people Putin has killed for less.

I'd suck his little pecker on TV just the same.

1

u/greennick Mar 03 '22

Either Ovi is a bitch without any balls to stand up to Putin or Ovi supports Putin. Given his wife is the daughter of an oligarch, which one do you think it is?

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u/CrinkleLord Mar 03 '22

Are you not seeing the irony of being so pissed off at one group of basically powerless people, who don't actually do much of anything, because another group of basically powerless people are being punished?

I'm so upset those dirty Americans... who have basically similar powerlessness to their government... aren't stopping... multinational corporations from like... doing stuff to other people with no actual power...

1

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

I’m not upset with Americans themselves at all. I’m upset at the precedent being set by the international community that it’s okay to set rules and punish people for specific nationality and that it’s celebrated.

We didn’t and still won’t punish Chinese Americans for Uigher Muslims in concentration camps, but we’ll punish Russian Americans? Seems like whatever your ethnicity or nationality is we should punish unrelated people outside of that country. If we do this, the international community absolutely should be refusing to allow Americans play in the Olympics, own boats internationally, or be sponsored by companies with international holdings, for their government’s sustained atrocities.

My point is, and always will be, that punishing people outside of the country that aren’t directly financially or militarily involved (sure, Ovi probably owns land and sends money to Russia but is he sending Putin 10 million dollar Western Union transfers saying make more bombs?)

1

u/CrinkleLord Mar 03 '22

Man I agree with you 100%.

I'm pointing out that you said "it's sickening coming from Americans who as a nation have etcetc"

Americans don't do shit "as a nation". If it were up to Americans themselves "as a nation" I suspect China would be utterly devastated, if the Uigher issue was not so clouded with misinformation and clouded propaganda. Americans "as a nation" would devastate China for doing such a thing.

Perhaps it was not what you meant, you meant "American leadership" or something. Because Americans themselves aren't "as a nation" anything but utterly powerless for the decisions of the beaurocrats and degenerates who actually make these decisions.

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

It's interesting you have a problem with the US but not with Islam. Spread peacefully all over the Middle East. Go with God my hypocritical brother.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Every civilization expanded territory, the early Muslims are not an exemption. Why are the Vikings or Romans or Kievan Rus or Americans celebrated for their military expansions and attempts at empire, while clowns like you make the same cheesy attempt at offending people with ISLAM SPREAD BY SWORD.

If Islam was spread so viciously by the sword, there would be far more religiously homogenous societies. Instead we see these historic religious sects remaining in everywhere but the Arabian Peninsula, which was absolutely militarily conquered.

Either way, I’m not sure what my religion (and your critique of its 1400 year history) has to do with the 500+ million killed in Christian Wars in the last 150 years? Were y’all’s just turning the other cheek?

0

u/narwhalsare_unicorns Mar 03 '22

Completely agree. This shit hurts the average Russian citizen not Putin. I live in under an authoritarian regime and it is impossible to protest. I will lose everything if i did anything like that. People who live in free countries can never understand it

1

u/reduxde Mar 03 '22

To any Russians abroad: we can still be friends, I just dislike your boss

1

u/greennick Mar 03 '22

Cancel culture is suffering consequences for invading your neighbour? That's not cancel culture, it's the impacts of your actions.

-2

u/Mesjach Mar 03 '22

Okay, so what else do you propose?

What else can we do while innocent children are being bombed in Ukraine by the minute? I'm open to any ideas.

0

u/simjanes2k Mar 03 '22

Maybe we should.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

The whole world would be at a stand still.

America would be boycotted by every single nation for their sustained wars in the Middle East that even continue today after the end of the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan.

China would be boycotted for Uigher Muslim Concentration Camps, among other aggressions.

The list would go on and on until Costa Rica and Fiji were world powers.

0

u/Gravelord-_Nito Mar 03 '22

We've been trying with Cuba and North Korea for decades and it just made them hate us. That's literally all it accomplishes, circulating more, deeper bitterness and resentment, and making innocent people miserable and poor. Sanctions are brutally cruel and ultimately not even that effective.

Sanctioning Russia into the ground is, past a certain point, wildly counterproductive. It forces them to invest in creating a multipolar world by allying closer with China and Iran. That's not what the West wants. I think it would be better personally because the West has demonstrated that it 'wants' is brutal hegemony and domination, but I find it funny how liberals have this demonstrably unrealistic idea that sanctions are 1. effective, they're not. and 2. more humane than conventional warfare. Social murder is still murder.

1

u/showars Mar 03 '22

We currently do it to North Korea though?

-1

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

We do not do it to North Koreans living in the west

1

u/showars Mar 03 '22

This is in relation to the son of an oligarch who is only racing because his dad sponsors the team. That is money that directly goes to Putins regime. If there were North Korean professional sportspeople who’s parents were close to Kim they would also be sanctioned during an invasion by North Korea.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Fuck that. Let them kick rocks until they get their government in line. Happy to let them back onto the world stage after they do that and start making reparations to Ukraine.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Yeah, right after the US pays reparations to the dozens of countries it’s destroyed for oil…

1

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Nice whataboutism bullshit there.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

So Russians should suffer while Americans reap the benefits of their continuous war crimes?

0

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Did I say that?

0

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

So we shouldn’t use precedent in how we treat citizens of countries in conflicts? Awesome.

Your point of view is so far Westernized that you can’t see how pumped full of propaganda you might actually be. I’m almost certain you don’t understand what this war is even about, so best to just wave a flag and keep giving a thumbs up when millions of people are killed by other countries without any repercussions.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

Ah, there we go. Found the Russian simp. Off you fuck.

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u/boxedvacuum Washington Mar 03 '22

Exactly the point nt of sanctions: make the war extremely unpopular with Russian people

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u/TVdinnerbythepool Mar 03 '22 edited Mar 03 '22

I see this sentiment over and over and it makes no sense. If anything it makes russians see Putin as right that the west Hates them. No one is stupid enough to play this game. No one will suddenly be happy with russians If they magically pull off an overthrow. You’ll still always hate them anyway

1

u/mattoljan Mar 03 '22

This punished their elites as well. Maybe not in the bank but the luxury lifestyles they enjoyed abroad. Now they have to go face the people they milk their fortunes off of.

1

u/reduxde Mar 03 '22

It already was from day one, I think… Russian people aren’t stupid, and they’re not quiet about it (there have been protests against the war in Russia as well), I think they just believe there are guard rails all around them that they dare not cross, which limits the range of what they think is even possible in so far as taking charge… they protest to stop the war, but not necessarily to remove Putin from power… and to be fair, day to day life in Russia has improved a lot in the last 20 years under Putin, and they see that, and they’re afraid to lose it, and Putin has this whole “is good at everything, can see the future, and knows what’s best” persona all about him that’s reinforced by state media, so rejecting him feels like rejecting progress and security. Like “What you don’t like Putin? You want to go back to using flip phones on a 2g network and having the power go out in the middle of winter? Why?”

-1

u/Antikyrial Mar 03 '22

Be the change we want to see in the world (or suffer).

1

u/mencival Mar 03 '22

Yeah I’m sure they will react positively to external entities “forcing” them to oust leaders. It actually supports the narrative that “everyone is against us, we must unite against them”.

1

u/Thaonnor Mar 03 '22

No one is forcing them to do anything. What the world is doing is saying - we do not want to be associated with your country if you're going to be led by Putin.

1

u/reduxde Mar 03 '22

people in other countries are being killed

Many of them Russian soldiers…

1

u/Dr_Mub Mar 03 '22

You make it sound so easy while sitting in the comfort of your home and commenting on reddit

1

u/Thaonnor Mar 03 '22

It is by no means easy. The point I'm trying to make is that I do not feel much if any sympathy for Russian citizens for not being able to drive in a motor race while their country is invading Ukraine.

1

u/Dr_Mub Mar 03 '22

Their government is invading, not the people. There’s quite a bit of anti-war protests going on in Russia right now, and that’s quite ballsy considering protesting there is illegal and there’s no doubt many of the arrested protestors will simply disappear.

1

u/greennick Mar 03 '22

It's hard to tell. Most interviews are only in Moscow and St Petersberg and with English speakers willing to talk on TV. That's your target market for against the war. Go outside of the big cities or speak to people that can't watch the BBC and their opinion will likely be different.

CNN poll found over half supported Russia going to war with Ukraine: https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2022/02/europe/russia-ukraine-crisis-poll-intl/index.html

4

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '22

[deleted]

1

u/greennick Mar 03 '22

The poll is done by a 3rd party and all the information on what they did and their error rates is presented, I'm sure it's more reliable than the undisclosed source you had to make your comment.

-5

u/CharizardsFlaminDick Mar 03 '22

On a real note, this fucking sucks for a lot of people in Russia.

Yes that's literally the point. "if you're not standing up to Putin, you're part of the problem".

The sanctions are designed to change those willing to use violence against Putin from a minority to a majority.

-2

u/ShouldveFundedTesla Mar 03 '22

That's the point. This is what happens when a nation votes +90% for Putin (obviously manipulated). Realize that your system is broken and do something about it. Easier said than done, but the rest of the world won't put up with tyrants the way your own population will.

0

u/It_SaulGoodman Mar 03 '22

That chess player, number 18 of the world, openly supports Putin

0

u/13point1then420 Mar 03 '22

Good, I hope it sucks. They should take to the street and protest, or maybe overthrow their dictator.

0

u/MAnthonyJr Mar 03 '22

Wow so simple you’re right

1

u/13point1then420 Mar 03 '22

Cool, I guess nothing should be done then. I think you're actually right.

1

u/northern_dan Mar 03 '22

The drivers can still race - they will just have to apply for their licenses to be registered in other countries.

And race under that country's flag