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Gasly: 'Everyone came to speak and we agreed'

Gasly: 'Everyone came to speak and we agreed'

26-03-2022 08:03 Last update: 10:22

GPblog.com

Pierre Gasly was the first to indicate in the paddock last night that the teams have reached an agreement to do the race this weekend in Saudi Arabia. The missile attacks in Jeddah last week still create a threatening situation.

After four hours of consultation between the drivers , the decision to race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend was still made. The FIA and the GP-organisation decided to let the weekend go on as planned and left the choice to the teams and drivers themselves to participate. The drivers deliberated for a long time and still came to an agreement deep into the night to race this weekend.

F1 drivers on the same page

Gasly said to the press in Jeddah, "Everyone was able to give their opinion. We are all aligned with our intentions." Yet this comment by Gasly does not yet create much clarity. That the drivers are on the same page can mean several things. That the consultation lasted so long means that there were big differences between the drivers. It was already clear that a large number of drivers were in favour of the cancellation of the weekend. Also, the drivers would only have decided to race after receiving "additional information".

The drivers and teams have unanimously decided to race, but the fact that they are aligned in terms of intentions does not mean that everyone is behind that choice. For example, it may be difficult for the teams and drivers to leave the F1 grounds or the country in case they do not participate in the race. In the case that teams really can't leave the country, participating or not participating is the same in terms of safety and it is more important for the championship to race.