F1 teams meet over the volatile situation in the Middle East: Will there still be racing?

In just over a month, the F1 circus was set to descend on Bahrain and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for rounds four and five of the season. However, it is highly uncertain that these Grands Prix can go ahead now that the Gulf states have become targets of Iranian missile retaliation following the ongoing attacks by Israel and the United States.

The expectation is that during their meeting, the teams and the Formula 1 organization will only discuss the situation and consider potential alternative locations for the two races, but that no decisions will yet be made regarding cancellations. There are still a few weeks of leeway to make a final decision.

It is almost certain that F1 will use all the time available, in the hope that the situation in the Middle East normalizes. Whether that is wishful thinking remains to be seen. After all, U.S. President Trump has already indicated that the operation will last for weeks. Iran, for its part, has stated that it intends to continue the fight for a long time. The British and Dutch governments currently advise against travel to Bahrain.

The teams assume in any case that Formula 1 will make the right decision, although no one will want to put staff in danger. No one wants a repeat of last week’s scenario with the McLaren and Mercedes test teams, where staff and drivers ended up stuck in hotels in Bahrain due to the closed airspace.

By now, they are safely home. At the moment, it is impossible for Formula 1 cargo to be shipped to Bahrain.