FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has provided an update on the current status of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. With the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, it is very uncertain whether the Formula 1 season can still end in that region. Although safety is the top priority for Ben Sulayem, he says that no decision has been made yet: “We cannot act too hastily.”
Read more David Coulthard calls George Russell’s defeat at Monza ’embarrassing’: ‘He has no answer to Kimi’
The ongoing unrest in the Middle East is also causing continued uncertainty in Formula 1 regarding the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. Earlier, CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed that a decision on the further 2026 calendar will only be made after mid-September. According to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the Formula 1 season will for now still end in Abu Dhabi.
“I, of course, also come from that part of the world,” Ben Sulayem begins in an interview with the Associated Press. “We cannot act hastily and just say: ‘That’s it, we cancel it,’ and then cancel it.” Of course, safety is the top priority in the final decision, the Emirati confirms. “Are we going to allow our people, our staff, the drivers or the teams to take risks? No, of course not. We will not do that. But we will also have to listen to the governments and the local organizer there.”
Read more Max Verstappen warns about the Madrid ring: ‘This track can cause big crashes’
‘Human lives obviously more important than motorsport’
If the last Grand Prix of the year does not take place in Abu Dhabi after all, there is already a plan according to Domenicali to end the season in Europe. “Am I disappointed?” Ben Sulayem says when asked about the possibility that no race will take place in the Middle East this year. “I find human lives more important than motorsport, and the well-being of my family who lives there, the residents of the United Arab Emirates and everyone who lives there, is my priority.”
Read more Carlos Sainz expects ‘safety cars, red and yellow flags’ at the Madring: ‘Interesting challenge’
Read everything about the Spanish GP here
