Formula One’s season-ending double header in Qatar and Abu Dhabi has been thrown into fresh doubt amid escalating violence in the region.

F1 insists the plan remains unchanged, but uncertainty within teams and F1 staff will be growing after a missile strike by Yemen’s Houthi movementearlier this week on Saudi Arabian Oil Company’s (Aramco) headquarters in Dhahran.

Aramco’s Dhahran facility is roughly 100 miles from the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, which is due to host the penultimate race of the season on November 29, before the finale in Abu Dhabi on December 6.

Other sports have been affected by the recent escalation. The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition event in Saudi Arabia, a three-day event which was due to start on October 21 and feature major champions Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, was postponed on Wednesday night.

The event had been in serious doubt since the Houthis launched attacks on Saudi Arabia last week, including a missile strike on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

The Houthis describe the strikes as retaliation for Saudi military action in Yemen.

Sources within F1 insist the plan remains unchanged, noting that official Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice is that travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remains open, that flights can still get to the two countries, and that there is therefore no knock-on effect on plans.

There were also rumours in Malaysia and Singapore, where the sport has spent the last fortnight, that some sort of deal had been done between Qatar, the UAE and Iran to guarantee security, giving F1 increased confidence to press ahead.

It is understood F1 could lose its race hosting fees should it take the decision to cancel the two races while those countries insist they are safe to travel to, and official UK travel advice is of the same opinion.

The latest advice on the FCO website for Qatar and the UAE says “the situation in the Middle East remains unpredictable”, warning “there is a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region” and that “British nationals currently in the Middle East should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures and potential travel disruptions”. It does not advise against travelling, however.

Imola has been preparing grandstands as a fallback option for one of those races in the event of cancellation, but it is unclear when that call will be made. A race in Italy in December, while possibly cold and wet, would guarantee the minimum number of 22 races which F1’s commercial rights holder is committed to with teams and global broadcast partners.

Last month, F1 suggested a final call would be made by the middle of October. However, the sport has since pushed back on that idea, insisting the calendar will finish as scheduled unless otherwise stated.

Sources now suggest F1 could switch to Imola as late as mid-November if required, giving the sport as much time as possible to see the lie of the land. It would also give Kimi Antonelli time to tie up the drivers’ championship, rather than risk a situation where he is crowned champion by press release as there would suddenly not be enough races for anyone to catch him.

Stefano Domenicali, F1’s chief executive, said at the recent Bahrain Grand Prix – which was run by the Bahrainis but staged in Malaysia following the postponement of the original race earlier this year – that the sport was committed to pressing ahead with its plans.


“Yes, as we’ve already said, the calendar is confirmed: the last two grands prix will be in Qatar and Abu Dhabi,” Domenicali said. “This is the direction we’ve taken based on the information and reassurances we have – and which we absolutely must have, of course. It’s the strategy we’ll apply until the end of the year.”