Formula One has decided to press ahead with its final two races of the season in Qatar from November 27 to 29 and Abu Dhabi from December 4 to 6, despite the continuing military conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Italy’s Imola circuit, which had been placed on standby as a potential replacement venue for the Abu Dhabi weekend, was told to cease its preparations.
The championship maintains that it remains willing to pull both events if conditions in the region worsen.
Several senior figures within the sport have privately voiced unease about travelling to the Gulf, given the proximity of both host nations to areas around the Strait of Hormuz where missile strikes continue to occur.
All teams are said to back the plan to finish the campaign as scheduled.
The conflict has already caused significant disruption to this year’s calendar.
Both the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, were affected when the US-Israel war with Iran erupted.
The Saudi race was scrapped entirely, while Bahrain’s event was postponed and ultimately relocated to Malaysia’s Sepang circuit in October.
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The sport’s governing figures insist they are monitoring the situation closely.
A Formula One spokesman said: “If the situation develops negatively in the coming weeks before the events in the Middle East, we will not hesitate to do the right thing and the safety of everyone will always be the priority.”
The sport said its decision to proceed, which was always the preferred course of action, reflects the fact circumstances in Qatar and Abu Dhabi have not deteriorated in recent months.
Government travel advice remains unchanged, insurance cover is still valid, and commercial activity in both nations has returned to normal levels.
Saudi Arabia, which shares borders with both host countries, remains under sustained assault from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Several events in the kingdom have been cancelled or delayed in recent weeks as a direct consequence of those attacks.
The security picture across the wider Gulf therefore remains volatile, even as Formula One maintains that conditions within Qatar and Abu Dhabi themselves have not worsened.
The sport acknowledged it faces a genuinely difficult balancing act as it weighs operational safety against its commitments in the region.
Both Qatar and Abu Dhabi pay substantial hosting fees for their respective Grands Prix. And the two nations are deeply embedded in the sport’s commercial fabric.
Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund holds a stake in the Audi team, while Abu Dhabi maintains an ownership interest in McLaren.
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