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The 2026 Formula One season faces uncertainty due to conflict in West Asia, affecting logistics. F1 says its monitoring the situation and reportedly has contingency plans.
Ferrari at the Bahrain testing (ScuderiaFerrariHP/X)
The 2026 Formula One season has been rocked by a bit of uncertainty due to the war-like situation in West Asia, just a week before the opening Grand Prix in Australia on March 8. Reports in Europe have suggested that the logistical concerns, especially travel-related, could have a negative impact.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted U.S. installations across Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in response to a joint U.S.-Israel offensive. Several atheletes from around the world have been stuck in the UAE and sporting bodies have sprung into action.
The Formula One, at its core, is an expensive caravan where the ten teams go from city to city across the world with their cars and gear, sometimes every week, which makes it more susceptible.
Moreover, the Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for April 10–12, followed by Saudi Arabia on April 17–19. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which has reportedly been one of the targets, lies about 20 miles from the Bahrain circuit.
On Saturday, Pirelli, the official tyre provider of the sport, cancelled its wet-weather tyre test, stating: “The two days of development testing for the wet compounds scheduled for today and tomorrow at the Bahrain circuit have been cancelled for safety reasons, following the evolving international situation.
“All Pirelli personnel currently in Manama are safe in their hotels. The company is working to ensure their continued safety and to arrange their return home as soon as possible.”
F1 also released a brief comment from a spokesperson, who seemed to attempt to placate the concerns.
“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan, not in the Middle East — those races are not for a number of weeks. As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities,” the statement said.
Some media reports have also claimed that F1 has ‘contingency plans’ in place if some race venues were to be threatened.
March 01, 2026, 10:36 PM IST
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