Retaliatory Iranian Bombings May Sideline F1 And WEC Races In The Region
· Yahoo Sports
Following several airborne attacks by Israeli and U.S. forces, as well as the assassination of the Ayatollah, Iran spent Saturday and Sunday bombarding several U.S. military facilities, and launched efforts to upend aviation with strikes on airports in Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. With the FIA World Endurance Championship scheduled to kick off its 2026 season with the Qatari prologue test on March 22nd, and F1 bound for Bahrain and Saudi in mid-April, these major motorsport events are currently up in the air. Will the FIA sign off on sending its highest profile sports car and open wheel series into a war-torn region?
FIA President Ben Sulayem issued the following statement on Monday:
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"...My thoughts are with all those affected by the recent events in the Middle East. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and stand with the families and communities impacted. "At this moment of uncertainty, we hope for calm, safety, and a swift return to stability. Dialogue and the protection of civilians must remain priorities.
We are in close contact with our Member Clubs, championship promoters, teams, and colleagues on the ground as we monitor developments carefully and responsibly. Safety and wellbeing will guide our decisions as we assess the forthcoming events scheduled there for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the FIA Formula One World Championship.
Our organization is built on unity and shared purpose. That unity matters now more than ever."
U.S. President Donald Trump informed the New York Times this weekend that military operations could be expected to maintain the current tempo of battle for four to five weeks, "but we have the capability to go longer than that." With just three weeks until the WEC round kicks off, and about six weeks until F1 is scheduled to be within bombing range, it seems unwise to continue moving forward with these races.
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The art of racing in the blast radius
Fireworks over the F1 circuit in Saudi Arabia - Clive Mason/Getty ImagesWith the FIA president putting emphasis on safety and wellbeing as the guiding lights of this conversation, you might imagine that it would be an easy choice to either postpone or cancel these rounds of both championships. It doesn't do the FIA any good to put its superstar drivers and teams in harms way, either during the race or in the process of getting to the event. It seems that this war is going to rage on for at least another month, and the retaliatory efforts of the Iranians are not likely to be predictable.
This is, however, the same FIA that all but forced all members of the Grand Prix Drivers Association to race in Jeddah following a nearby missile strike of an Aramco plant by Houthi rebels during the 2022 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekend. The drivers voiced their concerns to the FIA and after four and a half hours of debate about shutting down the race, the drivers agreed to race after they were told of the potential "consequences, reportsBBC Sport. Apparently the FIA was concerned that Saudi Arabia may not grant drivers and teams an exit visa from the country if they did not agree to race as normal. Luckily nothing did happen to any of the F1 folks that weekend, but perhaps the sport shouldn't race in nations who threaten drivers and teams in such a way?
Whatever the FIA decides, I'm sure it will be in the best interest of the FIA, regardless of safety and wellbeing. Money speaks really loudly these days. I'd like to believe the president will do the right thing, but with Saudi and Aramco all but funding F1 in 2026, it seems unlikely they'll want the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to move dates or risk cancellation. There's sportswashing to be done!
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