Hans Geist, the former general manager of the Austrian Grand Prix at the A1 Ring, is behind the current track project at Volokolamsk, 80 kilometres west of Moscow in Russia.

Russian and foreign investors are backing this project and Hermann Tilke has already put the design plans together. Geist has made it clear that the target is not for a Formula 1 race.

Instead, he wants to secure the rights to a MotoGP race and also DTM.

The Volokolamsk track will have a capacity for 100,000 spectators and is expected to open in 2010.