F1 event cancelled by Bahrain strikes as Lewis Hamilton's old replacement denied
As a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, an important F1 event has been cancelled in Bahrain, impacting one of Lewis Hamilton's replacements
F1 tyre supplier Pirelli has cancelled their two-day wet tyre test in Bahrain amid the evolving escalations in the Middle East after the USA and Israel's strikes against Iran. Today, US president Donald Trump confirmed "major combat operations" had been launched against Iran, resulting in explosions being heard across the country.
In retaliation, Iran have launched missile strikes against several US bases, including a naval facility near the Bahraini capital of Manama, which is located around 30km away from the Bahrain International Circuit. With the conflict escalating and evolving, Pirelli opted to cancel their plans in Sakhir, which had seen both Mercedes and McLaren reportedly supply mule cars for the test. One of the drivers set to test the tyres in Bahrain was Frederik Vesti, who replaced Lewis Hamilton at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix free practice session to fulfill the team's mandatory rookie driver session requirement.
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Pirelli said in a statement to PlanetF1.com: “The two days of development tests for wet-weather compounds, scheduled for today and tomorrow at the Bahrain International Circuit, have been cancelled for security reasons following the evolving international situation.
“All Pirelli personnel currently in Manama are safe in their hotels. The company is working to ensure their safety and arrange their return to Italy and the UK as soon as possible.”
It's also understood the FIA, along with Formula One Management, are closely monitoring the events around the area. In April, the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be taking place.
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It's also reported by PlanetF1 that many personnel within F1 teams are considering changing their travel arrangements for the upcoming F1 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix. Many involved had been planning on passing through countries in the Gulf region on their way to Melbourne.
According to the BBC, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait have all claimed to have intercepted missiles in their air space. The US has around 13 military bases across the Middle East and Gulf countries, with between 30,000 and 40,000 troops across all of them.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has already stated they are targeting US bases and assets as part of their relatiation. In response to the ongoing conflicts, Formula One Management also released a statement.
They said: “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.”
