&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US-Israel attack Iran | Formula 1 2026 opening weekend preparations in Australia hit amid Middle East conflict")
Formula 1 is the latest event to be hit amid ongoing conflict between US-Israel and Iran. The development comes as fligth operations are hit across the world because of the escalating tensions in the Middel East. It all started with US-Israel launching joint strikes against Iran on Saturday (Mar 1) and killing the Shia-muslim majority country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Since then, Iran has launched strikes against US allies in the region including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Baharin - the venue of pre season testing. The Formula 1 season starts Sunday (Mar 8) in Melbourne, Australia and nearly a 1,000 pesonnel from 10 teams have been forced to make last-minute changes to thier flight plan in order to reach for the opening weekend which starts Friday (Feb 6) with testing.
Formula 1 opening weekend hit by US-Israel-Iran conflict
The Formula 1 cars have made it to Australia for the oepning weekend after being put on for transportation last month following the pre-season testing in Baharin - one of the countries inlvolved in the conflict. It is, however, the personnel, who found themselves stuck while trying to get to Melbourne.
“You’re talking about teams, drivers, Formula One personnel, I’m guessing there’d be close to a thousand people that would have already booked their flights and would be landing somewhere between today, tomorrow, Wednesday – they had to all be changed," Travis Auld, chief executive of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, told Channel Nine on Monday (Mar 2).
“But a lot of people around the world are doing the same thing and so you’re competing obviously with that increase in demand, but they’ve been able to sort it out.”
Formula 1 in Middle East
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The Middle Eastern countries have long been a venue for the Formula 1 races. In the upcoming season, which starts Sunday (Mar 8), there are as many as five races scheduled in the region. The first F1 race in the Middle Eastern region is Baharin GP on April 12, followed by Saudi Arabia GP on April 19 - both the countries are currently involved in the conflict.
The remaining three races are towards the end of the season - Azerbaijan GP on September 26, Qatar GP on November 29, and Abu Dhabi GP on December 6
