During the long night that Formula 1 experienced in Jeddah, the variable that emerged in an important and somewhat surprising way was that of the group of drivers. After a long meeting, which lasted a total of over 4 hours, the FIA, Formula 1 and local authorities provided the clarifications requested by some drivers who also considered the possibility of boycotting the event.
The group that expressed many doubts about the continuation of the weekend saw Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, George Russell and Pierre Gasly at the forefront, but a little surprisingly there was also the involvement of Sebastian Vettel from a distance, absent in the Jeddah weekend for the continuation of the positivity at Covid. The Gran Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) sees two representatives in charge, George Russell and Vettel himself, who wanted to be connected with the drivers present in Saudi Arabia at a very delicate moment for the group.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Mick Schumacher, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team, Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo F1 Team, at press conference
Photo by: FIA Pool
Vettel’s position has not been revealed, but for years Sebastian has been a free voice criticizing some of the choices made by Formula 1, including that of racing in Saudi Arabia. “I think we must begin to face the consequences of our choices more and take on our responsibilities – said Vettel recently – it is not an easy topic to deal with, I believe that from many aspects it is morally wrong to go racing in certain countries. But obviously, from the financial point of view, there is a huge incentive for Formula 1 to include certain venues on the calendar. We are a global sport, and for this reason I believe that Formula 1 must begin to assume its responsibilities more and be aware of its actions ”.
It is very likely that Vettel’s position was aligned with that of Hamilton and the other drivers who asked for specific guarantees from the local authorities, arriving then at the decision to continue the weekend’s activity after the reassurances arrived from Saudi intelligence.
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