Bahrain test cancelled as sports bosses closely monitor Middle East conflict — bahrain travel plans disrupted
Pirelli has cancelled a two-day wet tyre test at the Bahrain International Circuit as missile and drone strikes swept the Gulf, and sports governing bodies are closely monitoring developments that are already reshaping travel plans ahead of the season opener in Australia and the upcoming races in the Gulf.
Pirelli calls off Feb. 28–March 1 wet test; personnel in Manama safe
Pirelli cancelled the two-day Formula 1 tyre test that had been scheduled at the Bahrain International Circuit for February 28 to March 1, saying the development testing for wet-weather compounds would not take place "for security reasons, following the evolving international situation. " The test, which would have used sprinklers and involved Mercedes and McLaren personnel, was due to precede the Melbourne season opener.
that all Pirelli personnel currently in Manama are safe in their hotels and that it is working to ensure their continued safety and to arrange their return home, including to Italy and the UK.
Formula One chiefs monitoring flights and calendar as teams reroute to Melbourne
Formula One leaders are among sports bosses closely monitoring the conflict as European-based teams were due to head to Melbourne for the season-opener next weekend the Middle East, forcing an overhaul to their flights. Next Sunday’s race in Australia is expected to go ahead unaffected, and the championship is scheduled to remain in East Asia for the next three rounds in Australia, China and Japan before returning to the Gulf.
An F1 spokesperson said: "Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan and not in the Middle East - those races are not for a number of weeks. As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities. " Organisers at the Bahrain International Circuit have said they are in close contact with F1 as the situation evolves.
Strikes hit US bases and Gulf states; proximity to circuit noted
Iranian forces launched a wave of retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Saturday against United States military bases and installations in several Gulf countries. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck U. S. military installations and several Gulf nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, in response to a joint U. S. -Israel offensive launched earlier that day.
The IRGC vowed the strikes will continue "relentlessly until the enemy is decisively defeated, " and an Iranian armed forces spokesman warned that any base used to facilitate the U. S. -Israeli offensive is a legitimate target. One of the installations struck, U. S. Naval Forces Central Command, sits roughly 20 miles from the Bahrain circuit and about seven miles from the Bahrain International Airport. Iranian forces also said on Saturday that they had struck a U. S. naval base in Bahrain, and retaliatory attacks were reported in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and elsewhere.
Cricket, football and event organisers alter plans as contingencies are activated
Cricket and football bodies have taken precautionary steps. A cricket match between the England Lions and Pakistan Shaheens that had been scheduled for Sunday in Abu Dhabi was cancelled, and the England and Wales Cricket Board said "the safety and security of our teams and staff is our top priority, " adding that England women’s planned trip to Abu Dhabi next week had been delayed.
The International Cricket Council, headquartered in Dubai, activated contingency plans for personnel who were scheduled to transit through Dubai for onward travel to their home countries, and urged fans who have travelled to monitor advisories and consider all factors before undertaking any further international travel.
Football’s governing body is also monitoring the situation in the run-up to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June. Iran have qualified for that tournament and are scheduled to play two matches in the United States, in Los Angeles and Seattle. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom told the International Football Association Board’s annual meeting in Cardiff that the organisation had met and that "it is premature to comment in detail, " but that it would monitor developments and continue to communicate with the three host governments, adding that "Everybody will be safe. "
Logistics, local impact and the wider motorsport community’s response
Teams and other personnel who were in Bahrain for recent testing are feeling the effects on two fronts: immediate concern for people on the ground and logistic disruption to travel to Australia. Bahrain has just hosted two weeks of F1 testing; journalists, team members and paddock staff stayed in areas such as Juffair, which was reported to have been subject to an attack. With the Middle East often used as a transit hub from the UK to Australia, closures and reroutes — including airspace restrictions around Abu Dhabi and Qatar mentioned by people planning to travel — are complicating movement to the Melbourne opener.
Commentators within the paddock have described a human reaction to seeing parts of the community in affected areas and a separate, pragmatic logistical response focused on where problems will present for the sport. Historical precedent shows Formula 1 has had to operate around geopolitical tensions before, and while the sport typically continues, organisers and teams are adjusting plans as events unfold.
