Former driver Robert Doornbos believes that the cancellation of the April races in the Middle East should not be the last twist, with new calendar changes still being considered.
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Speaking on the show De Stamtafel on Ziggo Sport, the Dutchman – involved in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – indicated that pressure is mounting to reinstate the Saudi Arabian race later in the year.
“I heard something else,” he said. “We know Aramco as a Formula 1 sponsor, probably the sponsor with the greatest financial power.”
Aramco wants its Grand Prix
Indeed, the Saudi oil giant is not only a major supporter of the sport and the Aston Martin F1 team, but also closely linked to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“They are doing a huge promotion of the event in Jeddah, because it is their jewel and the Grand Prix could still return to the calendar this year ”, revealed Doornbos.
The race was originally scheduled for April, but was cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East.
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However, Doornbos claims that a return is being studied, most likely at the end of the season. “They are now saying that they are moving Abu Dhabi by a week and inserting Jeddah in between,” he explained. “This means you finish the season with four consecutive races: Las Vegas, Qatar, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. ”
Going into overtime
In this scenario, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix would take place on December 6, while Abu Dhabi would be moved to December 13, thus maintaining its historical status as the season finale.
“Abu Dhabi has a contract stating that they always host the last race. This has been the case for 15 years”, pointed out Doornbos.
This reshuffle would create a very intense end to the season, adding further to an already busy calendar. On the other hand, it is hard to see how Bahrain could be refitted into this overloaded schedule, which would bring the championship back to 23 rounds.
“It will probably be a little while longer before the calendar changes are confirmed”, concluded the Dutch consultant, specifying that the final decision will depend on the evolution of the situation in the Middle East.