Aston Martin in contact with F1 over Middle East tensions

Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack has insisted trust must be placed on F1 and its security advisors when dealing with potential issues brought about by tensions in the Middle East.

Relations are highly volatile between a number of countries in the region, stemming from the war between Israel and Palestine.

In recent weeks, ships in the Red Sea came under attack from the rebel Houthi group based in Yemen, the faction responsible for the missile attack on an Aramco oil depot during the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.

With the first two races of the season taking place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Krack told media, including RacingNews365: "We have been in touch with F1 and their security advisors.

"There is no real concerns to go and race in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. We have to trust F1 and their advisors in this regard.

"We are contracted to the championship and to race where they take us to and that is what we are doing."

Freight issues?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to skyrocketing freight costs worldwide, leading to an alteration of the budget cap for teams that year following extensive talks at the F1 Commission.

With the dangers presented to cargo ships passing through the Red Sea, concerns have been raised about the knock-on effect for F1 teams but Krack allayed fears, revealing: "I have not been aware of any additional challenges in terms of logistics.

"The freight for Bahrain was already sent at the beginning of December. The sea freight has to go very early and I have not been made aware of any issues."