F1 stance on replacing two Grands Prix if Middle East conflict forces them to cancel

Formula One are set to make a decision regarding the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, it has been claimed that they will not replace them if they are cancelled.

The war in the Middle East is approaching the seventh day after an attack of Iran by the United States and Israel. Iran have since retaliated targeting neighbouring states in the Gulf, as part of their attack, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have seen missiles enter their airspace. It has since brought doubts over part of the F1 calendar with the season set to get underway this weekend in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix.

Sky Sports have claimed that a decision will made by March 20 at the latest regarding the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix’s, held between April 10-12 and April 17-19 respectively.

But if they are cancelled due to the conflict, it has been said that they will not be replaced.

Should the two Middle East Grand Prix’s be cancelled, it will see a break from March 29, the conclusion of the Japan Grand Prix, to May 1 when preparations begin in Miami, Florida.

F1 president Stefano Domenicali told Sky Sports: "First of all, our approach first of all is safety for all of the relevant stakeholders, people and the promoter itself. "We don't want to do any statement today because things are evolving and we still have time to make the right decision.

“This decision will be taken together. So far, we want to keep quiet and calm and make sure we have the right time to make the right decision - as we did in the past.

"It has not been an easy week,” he added. “When we saw the things happening, of course, we had people in Dubai and Bahrain for a Pirelli test which we had to cancel. We had people in Doha.

"We had a lot of flights booked through the Middle East, so it has been a very intense couple of days to reschedule everything with the help of the governments. We had a special programme to take all of the people in this region out, which was a challenge, therefore to be here is a great success.

"People sometimes believe it's just 30 or 40 people in a team. We have 3000 people who have to move around the world. It's a big beast."