Carlos Sainz said it’s “difficult” to envision the Formula 1 season concluding in the Middle East given the ongoing military conflicts in the region.
The Williams driver, who serves as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA), added that it’s “premature” to believe the final two rounds of the season will go on as planned with the Qatar Grand Prix from Nov. 27-29 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Dec. 4-6.
F1 officials and the FIA governing body continue to maintain that the season-ending doubleheader will go on as scheduled, although a season finale in Imola, Italy, on the weekend of the Abu Dhabi race is being discussed as a potential alternative.
“They seem very convinced that it’s going to go ahead,” Sainz said Thursday ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Austin. “I think on my personal side, and not speaking (for the) GPDA, it’s very difficult to be convinced right now because there’s still plenty of things happening in the Middle East.”
Reports indicate the United States and Israel could resume attacks on Iran following the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3. The Middle East has also seen widespread conflict, with the rebel Houthis waging regular attacks on Saudi Arabia.
“There is obviously an election that is going to happen in the U.S. and things that are going to happen in the political side of the world that could affect the next month and a half very suddenly,” Sainz said. “I think it’s relatively premature to be so convinced.”
Despite his personal reservations given the current state of the region, Sainz believes the drivers ultimately will trust what the decision-makers decide to do.
“If the FIA and Formula 1 decide that’s still safe and a good scenario, I think we as drivers have to go with whatever they say,” Sainz said. “It’s not like we don’t have as much inside information as they have, so we need to follow their lead and trust in their decision-making.
“But only as it stands, I think the world can change a lot in the next month and a half. So, we need to be (prepared for) whatever happens and not just go because we want to go right now.”
–Field Level Media
