Mattia Binotto: “Leaving Saudi Arabia would not have been the right choice”

Close to cancellation during the night from Friday to Saturday following an attack by Houthi rebels around fifteen kilometers from the Corniche circuit in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will continue its march forward this Saturday with Free Practice 3 then qualifying.

Invited to a press conference, Mattia Binotto (Ferrari) came back to “a long night”. The main Scuderia team held meetings and discussions with its counterparts, the FIA ​​but also the drivers in the Jeddah paddock. They had expressed reservations about remaining there but the decision to continue the event as if nothing had happened was finally taken.

🗣️ "It's been a long night."

Mattia Binotto says it is their duty to make sure F1 can share a 'positive message' amongst the current situation in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/mZX3uSgqWh

- Sky Sports F1 (@ SkySportsF1) March 26, 2022

“Leaving Saudi Arabia would not have been the right choice, he said, before continuing. It's never pleasant to see what happened. We know that this is not the first time that this has happened in this country and in this region of the country. What we can at least do, as (participants in) F1, is try to send a positive message. This is our task, our responsibility.

I am sure that in the future this will all be resolved. » The Yemeni Houthi rebels have been at war against the Yemeni government since 2014. Since 2015, a coalition of Persian Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia has allied with the Yemeni government.

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