Ferrari voice key F1 concern over end-of-season doubt

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has highlighted a key area of concern hanging over F1 as the wait continues to discover how the end of the season will unfold.

Due to the ongoing war between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, doubt shrouds the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali has previously stated that no decision on those two races will be made before the middle of September. It has even been suggested such a call could be delayed until the start of October.

 F1, it seems, is willing to wait as long as possible before confirming whether two of its most lucrative races of the campaign will be staged.

Domenicali has also stated that if the two grands prix are cancelled, then the season will end with a race in Europe - believed to be Imola - and not in Las Vegas.

Vasseur feels that from a cost cap perspective, the teams need to know sooner rather than later whether they will be heading to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, as it will then allow them to direct considerable financial resources needed for those events elsewhere.

Initially dismissing power unit component concerns, in trying to manage the systems for 22 or 23 races, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365, Vasseur said: "Cost cap could be a trickier point because the cost of going to Abu Dhabi and Qatar to do two races is huge.

"If we don't go there, perhaps you can spend elsewhere, in development or whatever. It's true for us, but it's true for everybody. At some stage we will have to take a decision.

"For everybody, for logistics reasons, collectively we will have to decide by September because we will have to send the kits to the Middle East, and we won't be able to postpone any more on this.

"It will probably be enough to manage the last six or seven races after September."

Next up for Vasseur and Ferrari is the Scuderia's home Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6.