GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Andy B on March 25, 2022, 10:54:29 PM
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With a missile attack on an oil refinery close by the circuit and the F1 bosses deciding they will race the drivers it seems are not so sure and are still in discussion after 150 minutes.
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Looks like it took over 3 hours for the powers-that-be to wear down the drivers enough that unanimity can be claimed (though I'm not sure unanimity actually happened as Stefano Domenicali was caught lying about that before the drivers' meeting even started - had his statement been true, he could have easily ended the meeting the first of the two times he visited).
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Apparently blackmail was involved (although it's not clear whether the F1 bosses themselves were doing the blackmail, or whether the Saudi government did so and the F1 bosses happen to also be victims) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60880598
(That said, it's hard to sympathise with the FIA either way. Jeddah has no service road and on 2 occasions in F2 qualifying, that impeded driver rescues. Article 7.10 of Appendix O of the International Sporting Code requires all venues, even Grade 4 regional-only ones, to have adequete service roads. Thus, this venue - thus this race - should never have been cleared for use by any series, let alone F1. Even if the organisers lied and claimed the impediment would not happen, the FIA was required to cancel the weekend after F2 qualifying on the basis of the missing service road. Essentially, this trap was laid by the FIA refusing to do its safety duties).
Given that Saudi Arabia's launched numerous strikes against Yemen in the last 24 hours, the attack on Aramco facilities (the Jeddah distribution centre was one of 3 simultaneous ones) was revenge against some of them and Aramco is sponsoring one of the teams, it's starting to feel like the F1 paddock's being held as bait, and as an excuse to escalate the Saudi-Yemen war. It's very difficult to accept this.
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First Sochi and now this. A bad year for "Dictator Derby" races.
Thanks for the insight on the escape road situation, Ali. :good: I wasn't aware of that.
Here's the official statement on the matter:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-and-fia-statement-on-the-saudi-arabian-grand-prix.2iapJERWPKRQeByhgeO3cj.html
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Just been reading the GPDA held a meeting for about 3 hours to discuss wether they should race. :swoon: Thought everyone is always banging on about keeping politics out of sport, so just drive the cars lads. >:(
Bet no one asked any of the F2 managment or drivers how they felt about racing today, those boys just got on with racing instead of worrying about their social media profiles taking a crazy snowflake hit. :good:
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To be fair to the drivers, I am not sure they were worried so much about their social media profiles, as about a missile landing on their heads (by accident or not).
And if the threat by the Saudis to not let drivers leave the country if they didn't race had any truth in it (in the BBC article linked to by Alianora) I wonder if they will be back next year!
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Bet no one asked any of the F2 managment or drivers how they felt about racing today, those boys just got on with racing instead of worrying about their social media profiles taking a crazy snowflake hit. :good:
The F2 contingent were kept in the dark about the entire incident until after their sessions were done. Some of them may not have known there was a problem relevant to them until they got back to the hotel (the strike happened while they were on track but without context, all they would have known was that there was smoke drifting across the track and signs of a big fire over yonder). In any case, they have neither the facilities nor clout to argue against improper conduct on the FIA's part, as we are seeing today with Dennis Hauger being given a 10-second stop/go penalty for the wicked crime of... ...following Race Control instructions to go down the pitlane instead of down the main straight under a red flag (which, may I remind you, has a standard requirement of going into the pitlane).
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To be fair to the drivers, I am not sure they were worried so much about their social media profiles, as about a missile landing on their heads (by accident or not).
And if the threat by the Saudis to not let drivers leave the country if they didn't race had any truth in it (in the BBC article linked to by Alianora) I wonder if they will be back next year!
I wouldn't go to Saudi Arabia under the current regime. The threat of detention is simply too high.
I can't wait to see what everyone has to say after they're safely home. I'm sure some drivers will happily discuss they raced under duress.
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I think I'd stay out of any country that any wrong
remark or action could land you imprisoned for life
or worse. I bet Vettel is the only happy camper this week.
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(That said, it's hard to sympathise with the FIA either way. Jeddah has no service road and on 2 occasions in F2 qualifying, that impeded driver rescues. Article 7.10 of Appendix O of the International Sporting Code requires all venues, even Grade 4 regional-only ones, to have adequete service roads. Thus, this venue - thus this race - should never have been cleared for use by any series, let alone F1. Even if the organisers lied and claimed the impediment would not happen, the FIA was required to cancel the weekend after F2 qualifying on the basis of the missing service road. Essentially, this trap was laid by the FIA refusing to do its safety duties).
Is this not following the rules as set out by the FIA?
Where have I heard that before? :o
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To be fair to the drivers, I am not sure they were worried so much about their social media profiles, as about a missile landing on their heads (by accident or not).
And if the threat by the Saudis to not let drivers leave the country if they didn't race had any truth in it (in the BBC article linked to by Alianora) I wonder if they will be back next year!
I can't wait to see what everyone has to say after they're safely home. I'm sure some drivers will happily discuss they raced under duress.
Not if they're threatened with 151c breach charges...
Is this not following the rules as set out by the FIA?
Where have I heard that before? :o
Er... ...3 posts earlier?
(Note: removed a double-post, partly so the joke works)
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When you are in Saudi you get no feeling of oppression. Young people speak freely of what is acceptable and what is not. Clearly their rules are very different to what we are used to and discrimination against women doing things we take for granted is the most stark. However, it is still a relatively free and open environment and they are quickly progressing to levels of human rights more in keeping with what we consider ‘acceptable’. I was surprised when BBC suggested that F1 had been blackmailed into staying. There is no evidence to back this and frankly it sounds like comic book fiction. If F1 had run away from the Houthis terrorist threat it would have been a massive blow against the World’s fight against terrorists and the truly frightening regime in Iran.
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The FIA and Liberty Media are only going to tracks in these, shall we say, "less than desirable human rights countries", because they are being paid a sh*t-ton of cash to bring the show there.
Liberty & FIA do not give a damn about anything other then increasing the bottom line. They do not care about the potential of danger to any of the participants who are actually "boots on the ground" in these places.
The extremely deep pockets or the OPEC countries is hard to ignore if they wave stacks of cash in the air being up for grabs.
Sochi was only pulled as they would have been vilified if they did not pull it but the money involved will be a strong incentive to go back as soon as Russia is back in someones good books again. Give it a couple of years.
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Sad, but true. >:( >:D
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Nothing really new. F1 raced at Kyalami in apartheid South Africa while the rest of the world were boycotting them.
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I recall F1 also raced in the US when racial segregation practices, & onerous laws, existed in various States.
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Within reason I think sport should transcend politics.
Most countries have a patchy history when it comes to human rights. Given time and the right type of focus Countries make good progress. I have worked in China for well over 30years and I have seen fantastic improvements; I have visited Saudi Arabia over the last 15years and the progress has been breathtaking.
Where there is a willingness to improve, progress is possible. This is why places like Iran; Russia; Afghanistan stand out - there is no willingness to improve!!!
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I recall F1 also raced in the US when racial segregation practices, & onerous laws, existed in various States.
And the tradition continues. Two of the currently most repressive states on the U.S. are Texas (COTA) and Florida (Miami).