Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto says F1's team bosses will meet on Thursday evening for an emergency discussion about the situation in Ukraine, with the staging of the 2022 Russian GP in doubt. It comes amid pressure growing on sporting organisations such as the FIA - F1's governing body - to boycott Russia after Russian forces launched a major military assault on neighbouring Ukraine. Although the event is still more than seven months away, F1 released a statement on Thursday to make clear that they are "watching the very fluid developments" in Ukraine, but that no further comment will be made at this time. Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen have both spoken out against the prospect of racing in Russia, with Vettel going as far as to say he will not travel to the country, even if the Grand Prix goes ahead.
F1 team bosses to meet in the Barcelona paddock
On Thursday night, according to Binotto, the sport's team bosses will meet in the Barcelona paddock to discuss events in Ukraine and the future of the Russian GP. "I think it is an awful situation; it is very sad," he told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I think, at the moment, all we can do is wait and see and hope for the better. From now until the race, there is time. My wish is that, somehow, everything will stop very soon. "F1 is trying to manage [the] situation. We will have a meeting between us [the team bosses] tonight to try and understand the situation, how to cope and how to manage with it. "I think at the moment all we can do is try to have, between us, a deep discussion to understand all the implications and make the right choice for the future." He added: "I think F1, in this situation, is not the most important. It is most important what happens there, which is very sad."
Aston Martin and Williams comment on the situation in Ukraine
Aston Martin Performance Director Tom McCullough and Williams Team Principal Jost Capito also spoke to the media regarding the situation in Ukraine. McCullough, following on from Binotto's comments, said: "It's quite worrying, the unfolding stories. As has been said, it's very much an issue that we will take guidance from the FIA on. "We'll be meeting [later], by the sounds of it. Let's just hope that things don't escalate there. We need to be hopeful, as Mattia said." Capito added: "It's very sad. Our thoughts are with the people involved. It shows that Formula 1 is not the most important thing in the world. We're thinking about our cars while others are scared to lose our lives. We have to have that in our mind and we're all aligned on this. "Whatever happens in the future, we have a very good relationship with the FOM and the FIA. They're the governing bodies and they're on top of this. They will take the proper and the right decision for all of us."
Most read
