FIA president backs Qatar and Abu Dhabi races to survive Middle East tensions

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has expressed confidence that Formula 1’s season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will proceed as planned, despite the escalating military tensions that have already forced the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix earlier this year.

The Bahrain race was effectively relocated to Malaysia after its postponement, while Saudi Arabia’s round was scrapped following a missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed 13 people. The attack, attributed to Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, also prompted the United Kingdom to pledge fighter jet support to Saudi Arabia. Ongoing ship attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil exports have slowed sharply amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict, have added to regional instability.

The proximity of Qatar and the UAE to those flashpoints had placed both season-finale events in doubt. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had previously confirmed that Imola was on standby as a contingency venue should conditions deteriorate further, though he described retaining the Middle East races as the championship’s Plan A.

Speaking to selected media, Ben Sulayem said the situation on the ground differs from what is portrayed in international coverage, and cited a personal benchmark for his assessment of safety.

“I have my children there — you think I would leave them there, and I’m here now with you?” he said. “What you read in the media is actually different than we have there. I can only tell you today that there is nothing and the two races are going to happen.”

He added that his willingness to send FIA staff to the region was consistent with his own family’s presence there. “I don’t think the FIA staff would be more important to me than myself and my family — but if I am there, it means I feel secure about it.”

Talks over potential cancellations have quietened in recent weeks, and the championship now appears set to retain both events. In MotoGP, teams have also been informed that a rescheduled Qatar round will proceed in November, a further signal that the country’s motorsport calendar remains intact.