Former F1 driver and current pundit Marc Surer is upset with the Qatar GP announcement from the authorities.
Yet another Middle Eastern venue was announced as part of the F1 calendar, with Qatar joining Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The confirmation arrived that the Qatar GP will replace the Australian GP.
F1 signed a lucrative multi-year deal with Qatar, which means this race is here to stay. This means races like the German GP will take a backseat. Surer is hence upset with the Qatar GP announcement from the authorities.
Speaking to Sport1, as quoted by GrandPX.news, Surer said, “Qatar is a circuit that has existed for a long time – MotoGP has been there a long time too.
“So it does make sense for Formula 1 to go there. (But) it always hurts when there is another race abroad and we’re not in Germany.
“Qatar didn’t need it, but Hockenheim or the Nurburgring do.”
Not a requirement
Surer also addressed the controversial human rights issues surrounding Qatar and the rest of the GCC. He expressed his disappointment with the sport turning a blind eye to these serious matters and continuing to race.
“We’ve seen in the past that the drivers talk a lot, but they drive everywhere they go anyway,” he said.
“As soon as they sit in the car, they are racing drivers and none of it matters anymore.”
DTM driver Marco Wittmann agreed with Surer, and said that F1 should be doing better than racing in Qatar.
“In the DTM, it would be cool to have something like that,” he said.
“But for the German fans in Formula 1, a German race would be better for them. We have German drivers with Vettel and Schumacher and a German race should be part of it.”
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