FIA: safety will guide F1 racing decision in the Middle East

The governing body of motorsport is closely monitoring the conflict ahead of its F1 races scheduled in the region.

Given the escalation of the conflict in Iran, Mohammed Ben Sulayempresident of the International Automobile Federation (FIA by its acronym in French), affirmed this Monday that his decisions will be guided by “security and well-being” while the Australian Grand Prix keeps your calendar.

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has generated uncertainty regarding the movements of athletes and the start of several competitions, including the Australian Grand Prixscheduled in Melbourne from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8.

“There is no doubt that what happened over the weekend has disrupted the travel plans of the teams and the team itself. Formula 1“said Travis Auld, executive director of the GP Australia to Fox Sports News.

However, he responded that “there will be no impact” on the race despite having had a very busy 48 hours where flights had to be rescheduled so that everything arrived on time.

The situation also leaves other tests on the calendar in the air, such as the Grand Prix of Bahrain and Saudi Arabiascheduled for April. In fact, the tire manufacturer Pirelli was forced to cancel its tests in Bahrain due to tensions in Middle Eastwhile organizing the return of its staff to Italy or England.

For its part, Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained that it maintains “close contact” with its “member clubs, championship promoters, teams and friends on the ground” as they oversee “development carefully and responsibly.”

In addition, he stressed that in these moments of “uncertainty”, they hope for “calm, security” and a quick return to “stability”, while evaluating the next events scheduled there in March FIA Formula One World Championship and the World Endurance Championship.

“Our organization is built on unity and shared purpose. Unity matters now more than ever,” their statement concluded.