F1 and FIA closely monitor Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix amid Middle East conflict

Escalating Middle East tensions are putting the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix under scrutiny, with officials at both the FIA and Formula One Management  monitoring the situation.

With the Bahrain Grand Prix still six weeks away, for the moment both events are expected to go ahead as planned.

F1 and FIA maintain a watchful eye as Gulf tensions rise

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Tensions within the Middle East have escalated with Iranian military strikes on United States military bases across the region.

That includes an Iranian missile strike on a US Naval facility at Bahrain. It struck a location in the Juffair region of Manama, a popular spot for much of the paddock while in the Gulf state.

United States President Donald Trump has announced that the US had begun “major combat operations in Iran.”

Commentary from the Iranian side has also suggested that the matter could continue to escalate, stating it will deliver a “historic lesson” to the US and Israel following strikes on Iranian cities.

PlanetF1.com understands both the FIA and Formula One Management are maintaining a close watch on the conflict.

“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan not in the Middle East – those races are not for a number of weeks,” a statement from Formula One Management to PlanetF1.com outlined.

“As always we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”

McLaren and Mercedes were due to be on the ground in Bahrain as part of a two-day Pirelli tyre test, which has since been cancelled with those on the ground looking to return either to the United Kingdom or on to Australia.

Bahrain is Round 4 of the season, with its race scheduled for April 12. That will see much of the paddock arrive on April 7 and 8, more than five weeks from now.

Sources suggest many paddock personnel are seeking alternate flights to Australia for the season opener to avoid the region.

Typically, flights from Europe to Melbourne stop in Doha, Dubai, or Abu Dhabi, depending on the carrier.

Following the Australian Grand Prix, F1 heads straight to China before a weekend off prior to the Japanese Grand Prix.

In the intervening period, the situation in the Middle East will develop, though exactly how remains unclear.

The latest escalation reportedly killed one man when debris from an Iranian strike fell in Abu Dhabi, while Iran state media has made unverified claims that five schoolgirls were killed in a missile strike in the country’s south.

Emergency Alert warnings have been sent out in the region, with people told to “Seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building, and to steer away from windows, doors, and open areas.”

This comes after emergency systems tests in Bahrain on February 9, which followed the closure of the country’s airspace the night before.

That prompted much of the F1 fraternity in transit to be redirected and, in some instances, laid over for several hours.

Officially, this was attributed to visibility concerns, though there was US Air Force activity in the area.

Following F1 pre-season testing last week, there were mild concerns that tensions could result in delays as personnel departed the country, though those proved unfounded.

This is not the first time F1 has found itself impacted by conflicts far beyond its reach.

In 2011, it raced in Bahrain against a backdrop of a local uprising which saw clashes with security forces.

During the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, a missile strike hit an Aramco facility near the Jeddah circuit while cars were on track for opening practice.

At the time, it was decided to press on with the event following assurances from local security forces that there was no immediate threat to the event or its participants.

Even last June, an Iranian missile strike targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on the outskirts of Doha. It was a retaliatory strike following an Israeli attack on a nuclear facility in the days prior.

The Qatar Grand Prix went ahead, as planned and without incident, on November 30.

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