Formula 1 says it is watching the conflict in the Middle East after Iran launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone strikes Saturday against United States military bases in countries that will host F1 races, including upcoming back-to-back rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck U.S. military installations and several Gulf nations — including F1 host countries Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — in response to a joint U.S.-Israel offensive launched earlier that day.
The IRGC vowed the strikes will continue “relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated,” and Iran’s armed forces spokesman warned that any base used to facilitate the U.S.-Israeli offensive is a legitimate target, according to NBC News.
The Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for April 10-12, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following one week later on April 17-19. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, one of the installations struck, sits roughly 20 miles from the Bahrain circuit and about seven miles from the Bahrain International Airport. A spokesperson for the Bahrain International Circuit said the organizers are in close contact with F1.
Pirelli has called off its wet weather test at Bahrain International Circuit for February 28 to March 1, releasing a statement saying: “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.”
The F1 season opens next week in Melbourne from March 6 to 8, with China following from March 13 to 15 and Japan from March 27 to 29. An F1 spokesperson acknowledged the situation but noted that the championship remains in East Asia before returning to the Gulf.
“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan, not in the Middle East — those races are not for a number of weeks,” the statement read. “As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2022 was thrown into doubt mid-weekend after a Houthi missile struck an oil facility visible from the circuit, with drivers holding emergency discussions before ultimately agreeing to race.