The FIA and WEC confirmed on Tuesday that the scheduled races in Qatar and Bahrain will not take place. This was jointly decided due to the ongoing unrest in the Middle East. Replacement races will be held in Barcelona and Monza in October and November. The last Grands Prix in the Middle East, which are still on the F1 calendar for the end of this year, remain uncertain.
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“Logistically, it was important to make this decision now so that manufacturers, teams, and the WEC organization could make all necessary preparations,” responded WEC CEO Frédéric Lequien in an official press release. There has been much discussion recently about whether or not races in the Middle East would proceed. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem emphasized that safety was the highest priority throughout the entire process.
“I am extremely proud of the collaboration that makes it possible for Barcelona and Monza to host WEC races later this year,” added the Emirati. “The FIA has worked closely with our partners in Qatar and Bahrain over the past months. All options to retain both events this season have been explored, but given the ongoing situation in the region, the safety of our teams, colleagues, and motorsport fans remains our highest priority.”
F1 calendar under pressure
The situation is also highly relevant to the course of the F1 season. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, were already canceled due to the conflict in the Middle East. Since then, the planned races in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi have also been under pressure. During the Hungarian GP, Formula 1 announced that an additional race will take place in October at Sepang in Malaysia, replacing the Bahrain GP.
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Possibly, the FOM has thus covered itself against further changes to the calendar. If the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are canceled, there will still be 21 Grands Prix left. According to the binding Concorde Agreement – the agreement between the FOM, the FIA, and the participating teams – Formula 1 is required to organize at least 21 Grands Prix per season. In that scenario, the Las Vegas GP would also become the season finale, allowing Formula 1 to keep its own flagship event as the year’s closer.
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