FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to run as planned

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is confident that the Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead, amid the current tensions in the Middle East.

Due to the conflict between the United States-Israel and Iran, the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled earlier this year, although the Bahraini organisers effectively moved its postponed grand prix to Malaysia. Ship attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, currently contested by both sides as oil exports have slowed dramatically, have continued.

Further conflict has arisen between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen; a missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport claimed the lives of 13 people. The airport has recently reopened with a limited service following the attacks, and the UK has recently pledged to support Saudi Arabia with fighter jets to defend from further Houthi assaults.

The proximity of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the current areas of conflict has meant that the two season-ending races in the Middle East were in doubt, although F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stated some weeks ago that retaining the races remained the championship's Plan A - with a back-up plan to host the season finale at Imola should tensions continue to escalate.

Talks over the potential cancellation of both races have dwindled in recent weeks, and the championship looks set to retain both Qatar and Abu Dhabi races. In MotoGP, teams have been told that the rescheduled Qatar round will be going ahead in November.

Speaking to selected media, including Autosport, Ben Sulayem stated that he feels "secure" about the races for the time being, explaining that he would not leave his family residing in the Emirates if he felt it was unsafe to do so. 

"They're fine. One thing I would say, I have my children there - you think I would leave them there, and I'm here now with you?" Ben Sulayem said.

F1 cars lined up at the start of the race

Photo by: Nicolas Economou / NurPhoto via Getty Images

"You have to be sensible in this and saying, 'are we going to have an issue?' What you read in the media is actually different than we have there. You know, we read and we see the TV, we don't have that, really. Otherwise, why will I stay there, you know? Why would I leave my family?

"But does this say that there is nothing going to happen? I cannot predict with this. I can only tell you today that there is nothing and the two races are going to happen.

"I am happy [for FIA staff to go there]. Listen, I don't think the FIA staff would be more important to me than myself and my family, you know, but if I am there, it means I feel secure about it.

"But we don't know for the time being. As I said, the Dakar [Rally in Saudi Arabia], if we hear anything from them, we will adjust. When I say them is the Federation of Motorsport in Saudi Arabia, we will adjust to that and we will help.

"Like when we helped with Bahrain, when the request was there to not organise the event in Saudi Arabia, then there was another call from the Crown Prince of Bahrain to move it to Malaysia. The relationship was there and it's sending a message that, like with all of this, we still will have motorsport."

Ben Sulayem added that the FIA had contingency measures in place in case of any travel disruption, such as leaning on local ASNs for any volunteers and officials to help facilitate the running of the events.

He used the example of the Lebanese round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, which ultimately rebooted this year's series. This was staffed by officials from Cyprus, Greece, and Jordan - before the Cypriot round concluded this year's championship when the Saudi Arabian round was cancelled.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 President and CEO

Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images

"Of course, the FIA is always ready. I told them to have another team ready from the FIA if there was nothing going on. But maybe some of the governments say, you cannot travel - so what do we do?" Ben Sulayem said.

"If everybody is there and then the teams are there and the FOM is running it and suddenly we say, 'oh, we cannot have our race director, we cannot have our stewards.' You have to be ready, and you have to have another team ready in case.

"We have also the common sense here that we will never take our staff or drivers or any officials to a place where we feel it is risky."

Ben Sulayem added that the prospect of the 2027 Dakar Rally was uncertain, but suggested that it could be moved to Morocco if it is unable to host the race in Saudi Arabia.