Formula 1's season opening Australian Grand Prix looks set to go ahead without major disruptions after teams arrived in Melbourne despite the conflict in the Middle East.
The joint US-Israel attack on Iran, which has led to retaliatory strikes on Middle Eastern nations including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, has dominated world news in recent days.
As the official civilian death toll crossed 1,000 on Wednesday according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, widespread travel disruptions among the Middle East's key travel hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are just a footnote that pales into insignificance.
But the region's shutdown still posed a few challenges for F1 personnel making the trip to Australia for this weekend's season opener in Melbourne.
As teams rerouted staff, Autosport understands F1 also booked three alternative charter flights through Tanzania and Singapore to ensure personnel key to the running of the event would make it to Melbourne in time, with most arriving by Tuesday evening.
None of the teams contacted by Autosport reported any operational issues as a result of the delayed arrivals, but they did collectively ask the FIA to relax the usual curfews in place during a grand prix weekend.
On Wednesday, the governing body announced that "due to force majeure" it would not enforce the standard curfews on Wednesday and Thursday night that keeps personnel involved in running the cars out of the paddock.
"We wish to inform you that, following consultation with the stewards of the meeting, due to force majeure and specifically ongoing travel and freight disruptions experienced in the preparation of the Australian Grand Prix, the provisions of Article B9.5.1a i.e. “Restricted Period 1” and Article B9.5.1b i.e. “Restricted Period 2” shall not apply at this Competition," the FIA communicated.
Per F1's sporting regulations, those periods correspond to Wednesday and Thursday night:
“Restricted Period One”: Commencing forty-two (42) hours prior to the scheduled start of FP1 and ending twenty-nine (29) hours prior to the scheduled start of FP1.
“Restricted Period Two”: Commencing eighteen (18) hours prior to the scheduled start of FP1 and ending four (4) hours prior to the scheduled start of FP1.
Mercedes and McLaren staff leave Bahrain after cancelled Pirelli test
Staff from Mercedes and McLaren who were temporarily stuck in Bahrain have all been able to leave the country. The two teams were scheduled to conduct a planned Pirelli tyre test at the Bahrain International Circuit but it was called off after the US Navy Fifth Fleet's headquarters in the capital Manama was struck by Iranian drones and missiles.
But it is understood the crew involved were all evacuated from the Gulf state safely earlier this week, with some travelling onwards to Melbourne.
What's next for F1's Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds
F1 said it would continue monitoring the developing Iran situation in the coming days and weeks as a decision will soon be due on whether the upcoming grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia can go ahead as planned.
Earlier this week, the FIA World Endurance Championship decided to call off its pre-season test and season opener in Qatar, which was set to take place in two weeks from now. F1 has a bigger, five-week window until it sets up shop in Bahrain, but due to logistical requirements it won't be able to wait very long to make a final decision.
The most likely scenario appears to be that F1 uses the one-week window between the China and Japan rounds to make a final call on whether a visit to the Middle East is at all viable, or whether it drops the two rounds in Bahrain and Jeddah. But despite rampant speculation, it seems unfeasible for F1 to replace its Middle Eastern rounds with last-minute races elsewhere given the logistical and commercial realities involved.
Commenting on the situation, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: "With the ongoing situation in the Middle East, it seems trivial to talk about sport. We watch the developing events in the region with concern and hope that the protection of civilian life remains paramount.
"With the planned tyre test in Bahrain, we have had several team members affected who thankfully have now been able to leave the country safely. With such a serious situation unfolding, it would be unhelpful to talk about the possible further impact on F1 over the coming weeks; we know that the FIA and F1 will continue to monitor events and make the necessary and correct decisions as and when they need to."
