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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Kieran Jackson

How F1 has averted 2026 season-opening disaster in Australia amid Middle East chaos

F1 Australia Middle East Lewis Hamilton Melbourne Bahrain Doha Dubai

Formula One has averted a season-opening staff shortfall this weekend after chartering two planes for 500 personnel to travel to the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

With typical transit airports, such as Doha and Dubai, the hubs for Qatar Airways and Emirates respectively, closed after Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes in the Middle East, F1 and the 11 teams were forced to take extraordinary measures in order to attend the first race of the 2026 season.

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