The first race of the Formula 1 season gets underway this weekend in Australia and the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the next few weeks, but current global tensions threaten the security of upcoming races. 

Following US and Israel strikes in Iran over nuclear weapon concerns, the Middle Eastern country retaliated by attacking Israel and then U.S bases throughout the region. 

These attacks included the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain and Oman. 

F1 is due to race in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on April 12th and 19th.  

While there are three races in Australia, China and Japan before the series arrives in the Middle East, there is still substantial concern for the teams, broadcasters and other personnel involved. 

This is partly due to the fact there is no clear time frame for how long the conflict will last, especially after the US President, Donald Trump, said that the war is projected to last “four to five weeks” but it could last for “as long as it takes”. 

So, with the fact that conflict is taking place in areas where these events are scheduled, and with the potential for to still be taking place at the same time as the races, teams are adjusting their travel arrangements and rerouting flight paths in order to avoid the conflict. 

In an official statement posted on social media, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA (the governing body of international motorsports) said his “thoughts are with all those affected by the recent events in the Middle East.” 

He also said they will “continue to monitor developments on the ground.” 

As it stands, the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will go ahead, but inside reports indicate some alternatives have been identified to potentially replace the two races. 

These replacements include Imola in Italy, Portimão in Portugal and Le Castellet in France. 

While F1 raced at Imola just last year, the tracks in Portugal and France have not seen F1 action since 2021 and 2022. 

Pirelli, the official tyre supplier for F1, has even cancelled a tyre test that was due to be held in Bahrain after Iran attacked a US naval base in the Manama area of Bahrain, just over 18 miles (30km) from the Bahrain International Circuit. 

WEC was due to hold its Prologue sessions (pre-season testing) on the 22-23rd March and its first race on the 26-28th March both in Qatar. 

Just one of the logistics issues that the WEC organisers could face is that a large number of equipment already in the area. 

Several manufacturers have recently held testing programmes in Qatar, and any cancellations would present a huge task for them to get all the freight out of the region and back to Europe in time for the race at Imola. 

An official statement was released by WEC on their website, which read, “The safety and security of our competitors, personnel and fans remains our absolute priority.” 

“FIA WEC is holding regular meetings with the Qatari authorities. 

“We will continue to evaluate the situation daily.” 

Following these discussions, WEC put out another a statement on the 3rd March which announced they have officially postponed the opening round, the Qatar 1812km, until later in the year. 

Image Credit: Upsplash