The Russian prime minister took a Formula One race car out for a spin on Sunday, reaching speeds of almost 240 km/h.Putin signed a deal last month with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone to bring F1 racing to Russia starting in 2014, and his televised test drive could help raise the profile of the sport in Russia. The stunt also matches the action-man image Putin has cultivated over the years, beginning with his startling flight into Chechnya in 2000 in a fighter jet. After receiving instructions Sunday from a Formula One team, Putin climbed into the bright yellow race car wearing a matching jumpsuit and then drove off by himself along an empty road near St. Petersburg. He spun out at one point, but regained control. When he finished the drive and was told his maximum speed, he smiled and said for the first time, it is good. Formula One cars reach speeds of well over 300km/h. Under the Formula One deal, Russia will hold grand prix races near the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which also is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics.
