Without specifying the reasons, Oleg Zabara quit the post of the promoter of the Formula 1 race in Sochi. Sergey Vorobyov came to office and from now on he is the acting deputy CEO at the OJSC Centre Omega and is responsible for organising and conducting the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix.
Richard Cregan, international consultant of the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix Promoter, gave the following comment on the change in company’s top management: “Oleg has created a unique team of professionals establishing good reputation of the project. I should note that Sergey Vorobyov has been involved in the organisation of the Russian Grand Prix for several years already. He communicates with FOM, is deeply involved in the details of the work process, knows all key participants in the auto industry and the world of motor sports, he is supported by the team and administration. So there is full succession of the project development and I don’t have any doubts in his success”.
Actually, no detail was given regarding a rather unexpected change of management. The only comment given by Oleg Zabara which could spill the beans of changes in top management was given in his interview to auto.vest.ru: “I have attained the objective by creating solid foundation and further preparations will go on a full-scale basis without my participation. Right now I’m facing an even more important task than Formula 1 and it’s not related to motor racing. I consider myself to be a top manager and it’s not important for me what I’m dealing with — whether it’s motor sport or a nuclear plant — the most important thing for me is the team. I’ve created the team and right now Sochi can boast of the best team of professionals”. Oleg did not specify what is the “more important task” he is going to face.
As it is clear now, the formed team will remain untouched. Each person performs his task in this mechanism so it runs faultlessly. What concerns the successor — Sergey Vorobyov — he seems to be really competent in what he is doing in spite of his young age. Sergey participates in the project of organising and conducting the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix since 2012.
All in all, it does not matter who is in the lead of the project, the most important thing is to make everything in time. Meanwhile, we can consider the daily issues — we still haven’t come up with the name of the track. There were plans to name the racing circuit in honour of the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and this initiative was met with great enthusiasm as those are not amateur but upscale races. “I can say that we still have the desire to name it this way”, said Oleg Zabara. “I don’t know whether this idea is going to be supported by the new management, but we have already conducted negotiations with Yuri Gagarin’s daughter Galina Yuryevna and right now we are waiting for her decision. Due to the fact that the family holds the rights for this name, obviously, there are some commercial questions arising”.
There you go. Had a break, switched positions and now back to work...
