Max Verstappen stands firm: “World Championship finale in Qatar and Abu Dhabi? I’d rather not”

Can the Formula 1 World Championship finish as planned? According to the original schedule, the World Championship was due to conclude with two Grands Prix in the Arabian Peninsula: on 29 November in Qatar and on 6 December in Abu Dhabi. However, the ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East has cast doubt on this since spring.

In Baku, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu revealed how long the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Formula One Management (FOM) intend to take to reach a decision – until mid-October.

Meanwhile, preparations are under way at the Imola circuit to host the World Championship finale in Italy, should races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi prove impossible. Imola is Formula 1’s Plan B. Work is continuing at the Arab circuits as if the conflict in the Middle East did not exist at all.

But the situation remains unpredictable. Only recently did the Americans reject a proposal from the Iranians to implement a seven-day peace plan. Instead, there are fresh threats of air strikes.

Lewis Hamilton has caused a stir with his views. Speaking in Baku, the Ferrari superstar said: “Personally, I’d love to go there. I love being in the Middle East. And from what I’ve been reading, things seem to be quite alright there.”

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Hamilton adds a caveat: “But I don’t have all the information on this, so I don’t know how high the risk is. I have complete faith in (Formula 1 CEO) Stefano Domenicali to do what’s right for the sport. But I hope we can go there.”

Max Verstappen takes a completely different view. Speaking to Viaplay in Azerbaijan, he said: “Normally I enjoy travelling to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but if there’s a war going on nearby and some of the countries are in conflict with one another, then I don’t think we should go there. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter whether you have a contract or not. But ultimately, of course, that’s not up to me.”