Antonelli’s F1 title chase resumes at COTA with decisions over Middle East events still looming

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Formula One returns to the track at the United States Grand Prix with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli on the brink of a championship and a looming decision that could help him win it: whether to finish the season with the two scheduled races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi amid the Iran war.

Officials with F1 and the FIA, the governing body of motorsports, have said they still plan to finish the season with the races in Middle East.

Some drivers in the paddock Thursday were not so confident, but said they will trust race officials to make decisions that keep them safe.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr., director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, called it “relatively premature” to declare the season will end as scheduled in Qatar on Nov. 29 and Abu Dhabi on Dec. 6.

“They seem very convinced that it’s going to go ahead. I think on my personal side, I’m not,” Sainz said.

Too many variables, including the upcoming Nov. 3 election in the U.S., could impact the level of tension and hostilities in the Middle East and whether it would be safe to race in the region, Sainz said.

“As it stands, we will go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi,” Sainz said. “We as drivers have to go with whatever they say. … We don’t have as much political information, as much inside information, as they have.

“I think the world can change a lot in the next month and a half, and we need to stay diligent, and reactive to whatever happens,” Sainz added.

With days before a close election in Israel in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and before next month’s U.S. midterm election in which war-linked high prices have sparked voter anger, there are concerns that U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and could resume and that a return to full fighting again could endanger civilians throughout the region.

Formula 1 earlier this season canceled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April due to the war. The Bahrain race was rescheduled and moved to Malaysia.

If Qatar or Abu Dhabi are canceled, F1 officials have prepped for possibly staging a late race at Imola in Italy.

Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri said they will trust Formula 1 to protect their safety and will go wherever the races are.

“It’s out of my control,” Hadjar said. “I’ll drive on the track I need to drive.”

“There have been difficult situations in the past through conflicts and all kinds of things. We’ll put our trust in F1 and the FIA,” Piastri said. “We might have to get some snowplows out if we race in Imola.”

A decision to cancel races would have a huge impact on Antonelli’s title chase and could even decide it.

Antonelli leads Mercedes teammate George Russell by 102 points with six races left. Mathematically, he could clinch the title this weekend if he wins and other results in the field fall his way.

Canceling a race could leave his closest rivals little to no chance to catch up. Formula 1 officials would rather have the eight-time race winner this season claim the championship on the race track rather than by news release.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has said he is confident the final races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be held safely.

Speaking this week at an FIA event near London, Ben Sulayem said his family is still in the United Arab Emirates and that he would not leave his children there if he felt it was unsafe.

“Does this say that there is nothing that is going to happen? I can’t predict this,” Ben Sulayem said. “I can only tell you today there is nothing and the two races are going to happen.”

Conflict in the region has forced some moves. The FIA last month cancelled the final round of the World Rally Championship that was scheduled to be held Nov. 11-14 in Saudi Arabia.

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