Valtteri Bottas believes that the Formula 1 grid is against heading to Imola for the season finale due to taxes and temperature.
Formula 1 is due to head to Qatar and Abu Dhabi for the closing stages of the season, with Abu Dhabi being the season finale. However, with the conflict between the US and Iran raging on, and many of the US allies in the region facing blowback militarily.
These concerns are born from the worries of how difficult it may be to travel in and out of these countries, how safe they will be and equally, if a global sport like Formula 1, which is owned by a significant American corporation, Liberty Media, could become a target itself.
It has sparked significant discussion within F1 about whether the sport should travel to the Middle East at the end of the season, cancelling the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier in the year and moving the Bahrain Grand Prix to Malaysia.
However, FOM and the FIA are reluctant to cancel the two remaining Middle East rounds. Although Imola has been touted as a potential replacement, there has been no official confirmation yet.
Ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a host of drivers were asked about the possibility of heading to Italy and whether they were looking forward to it. Imola is one of the more historic tracks that recently left the calendar.
Valtteri Bottas made it clear that he was against the move. Citing both weather concerns as well as an odd claim relating to drivers’ finances.
‘No driver’ wants to race in Italy
Others raised the weather issue, not just Bottas, as Europe is known for cold winters, with snow not entirely out of the picture around Christmas time. With it getting darker earlier as well, all of that fed into the Cadillac driver’s unease about heading to Italy.
“Not a big fan because I’ve heard about the weather normally around that time of the year.” He told the media on Thursday, “The fog in the mornings, the early sunset, the temperature.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard about the Italian tax? No driver wants to really race in Italy because of recent events- what happened.”
The Italian tax that Bottas referred to is a difference in Italian law. Foreign athletes are considered freelancers, even though they are contractually part of an F1 team. This means teams withhold part of drivers’ salaries to pay the tax authorities.
Earlier this year, the Italian tax authorities reportedly sent letters to many drivers asking them to pay at least half of any remaining tax bill from the last seven years.
For Bottas, these reasons have led him to believe that ‘no driver’ wants to go to Italy if they can avoid it. However, he said he’d respect the sports decision if it is deemed unsafe to race there.
I think if F1 goes, then yes. I don’t think Formula 1 would take that risk for everyone here. And so, yeah, if it’s a go, then that’s okay.”
In the end, he joked, “Well, yeah, Abu Dhabi, there’s no tax. Right? I think everyone would like to race somewhere warmer. But for now, what I’ve heard, we’re still going to Qatar in Abu Dhabi.”
Verstappen sees no issue with Imola
After Bottas’ comments, the question was levied to other drivers in the F1 press conferences. Bearman saw the tax issues as largely not a problem, likely because he’s only recently joined the F1 grid compared to Bottas. Although he joked that they may need to bring ‘snow chains’ and ‘hand warmers’
“The tax complication is a bit less relevant to me than some of the others, but no, I think we should bring the snow chains and the hand warmers.
“Yeah, let’s see how it goes, but it will definitely be cold if we’re in Imola in December. I was living close by for a good few years and in winter it’s definitely cold.”
Max Verstappen was far less concerned about either issue, going as far as to say the tax issue was no issue at all.
In Baku, Verstappen admitted that if it were up to him, he would choose not to race in the Middle East right now, making it clear, “When there is a war nearby, and if some of the countries are in conflict with each other, I think we shouldn’t go, but it’s not up to me,” which he told Viaplay.
Weather not a problem
The same thoughts rang true in Malaysia, with the Dutchman dismissing weather concerns with a light-hearted comment regarding driving in the dark.
“There are worse places to be in the wintertime than in Imola. So, yeah, it’s a little bit colder than in the summer, it gets darker a bit sooner, but I think we’re all clever enough to make sure that we don’t drive in the dark. And there is no tax issue. You just have to pay tax.”
The FOM has no firm deadline to decide whether the sport goes to Qatar and Abu Dhabi for the final moments of the season, and all signs currently point to the rounds remaining despite the ongoing conflict and many governments urging that escalation is still a risk.
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