Formula 1 is considered one of the most prestigious races in the world today, and in 2011, Russian driver Vitaly Petrov took third place at the Australian Grand Prix. However, Russian athletes had been showing commendable results even before the revolution. One driver who stood out was Vasily Soldatenkov.

His name first appeared in newspapers in 1902 when a race took place in St. Petersburg along the route Strelna-Gatchina-Strelna. Soldatenkov's debut was unsuccessful: his Gardner-Serpollet steam car stalled in the middle of the track, forcing Vasily to withdraw from the race. But this did not break his spirit, and soon he participated in competitions again, setting a national record. Driving a Richard-Brasier 40, Soldatenkov covered a verst on the Volkonsky highway in 36 seconds, becoming the first Russian driver to accelerate over 100 km/h.

Later, Vasily decided to continue his career abroad, where the most prestigious Grands Prix were held in Italy. No one expected success from the little-known debutant, who was hardly known even in Russia. However, Soldatenkov surprised everyone by covering 5 kilometers in 2 minutes and 10 seconds. He also performed excellently at the Targa Florio race in Sicily, which involved a nearly 450-kilometer race. Although he did not take gold, finishing third was a triumph for Russian motorsport.

Soldatenkov considered his main achievement to be another: in 1912, he set a new Russian record by reaching a speed of 146 km/h. Vasily was known as a speedster, as recalled by Prince Felix Yusupov, whom Soldatenkov once drove: "He raced at a mad speed. When I asked him to slow down, he laughed and pressed the gas pedal harder." How Vasily's career might have unfolded in Russia remains unknown, as he emigrated to Italy after the revolution, where he lived until his death in 1944.