Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One races cancelled amid regional tensions

Formula One Announces Cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Races in April

The Formula One governing body, FIA, and its commercial rights holder have announced that the Grands Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not take place in April due to safety concerns related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The decision was made early on Sunday morning ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

According to F1, several alternatives were considered before it was decided that no substitutions would be made in April. The races were scheduled to take place on April 12 in Bahrain and April 19 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated that the safety and well-being of the community and colleagues are the top priority. “While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” he said.

The promoters of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have expressed support for the decision. F1’s packed schedule does not have any obvious open dates for rescheduled races this year, which means there will be a five-week gap from the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 to the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

FIA and F1 had considered flying in staff and cargo to tracks weeks in advance, but ultimately decided against it due to safety concerns. The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races also means that there will be a significant gap in the schedule, with no obvious replacement dates available.

The decision has been met with support from teams, including Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who stated that they would follow FIA’s guidance. “Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation,” he said.

In related news, Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver, expressed his thoughts on the situation, stating that safety needs to be the priority and that he is confident in FIA and F1’s decision.

Source: Al Jazeera