Lewis Hamilton and other F1 drivers are not keen on returning to Saudi Arabia. Formula One is getting a lot of pushback from the racers after a missile strike hit Jeddah on Friday, just 10-miles away from the racing circuit. Chaos ensued among the teams and competitors who were concerned about their safety. After what happened last week, racers are not quite sure about returning for a future meeting again in Saudi Arabia. After the meeting on Sunday, Hamilton stated that he was just looking forward to getting out of the country.
F1 Persuaded Hamilton & Other Drivers To Stay And Race After The Missile Hit:
Chaos ensued after a missile dropped just 10-miles away from the racing circuit in Saudi Arabia. The drivers almost backed out of the meet. However, the F1 organized a four-hour meeting on Friday night, persuading the drivers to race. It sure seems like the F1 overlooked the safety of their players and went ahead with the race anyway.
However, it needs to be noted that F1 is quite keen to keep racing in Saudi Arabia. They are currently in a $900 million to host races for the next decade. Hence, the pushback from the racers could be tricky for F1 to handle after what transpired last week.
Hamilton & Other F1 Racers Share Their perspective On The Whole Incident:
As per rumors, Hamilton was strongly in favor of canceling the race during the four-hour meeting that happened on Friday. However, the F1 decided to rule against it. Hamilton raced on Sunday and finished in tenth place. Lewis revealed that he was happy that the weekend was done and everyone is safe. Hamilton added, \”I am just looking forward to getting out. I just want to go home.\”
Red Bull\’s Max Verstappen won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday. The racer confirmed that the matter was not over. the drivers are planning to demand answers from the F1, regarding their contract to keep racing in Saudi Arabia. Max said that the racers were guaranteed safety by F1. And after what happened, Max added \” We will speak with F1 and the team bossed to see what is happening for the future.\”
Moreover, McLaren\’s Lando Norris shared that he felt relieved after going through a rough weekend. He added that the racers were feeling quite nervous to stay here after the mishappening.
Amidst all the drama, Ferrari\’s Charles Leclerc and his teammate Carlos Sainz finished in second and third place respectively. Sergio Perez was in the fourth spot for Red Bull, followed by George Russell in the fifth position. The F1 will have to ensure the safety of the drivers if they want to continue organizing races in Saudi Arabia after a horrific event that could have easily resulted in a lot of damage for the F1 and the drivers.