F1 facing prospect of no grands prix in April

F1 is facing the scenario that there may be no grands prix in April due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, RacingNews365 understands.

As reported earlier this week, contingency plans were being discussed should next month's races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia be cancelled after Iran responded to attacks from the United States and Israel by launching missiles on its neighbouring countries, as well as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar.

In Bahrain, an American base that is home to the country's 5th Fleet was struck, whilst energy bases in Saudi Arabia have also been hit. Further explosions have been reported on Thursday in Bahrain.

It was made clear that the situation was being dealt with calmly and that there would be no knee-jerk reaction. There was hope of a quick resolution to the crisis. It is becoming apparent, however, that it is unlikely to be the case.

Whilst F1 is 'closely monitoring the situation' and is 'working closely with the relevant authorities', it is understood that the clock is ticking on the sport to make a call on whether the races should go ahead.

Logistically, a headache is mounting as freight from next week's race in China is required for the race in Bahrain. In dealing with the export and red tape involved, a decision needs to be made, ideally by the middle to the end of next week.

Additionally, Bahrain's international airport in Manama also needs to be declared safe to fly into. At present, airspace over the Middle East is a no-go zone.

Even if the war ends over the next few days, there are still many extenuating circumstances to take into consideration for giving a go-ahead, as F1 has always insisted that the safety and security of its staff is paramount.

Finances and tickets

In terms of race-hosting fees, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are at the top end of the scale, paying a combined figure of at least $100m.

At this stage, a force majeure would lead to the cancellation of both events, as it is unsafe for F1 to enter either country, leading to the fees not being paid, and a shortfall in F1 revenue for the year.

Whilst replacement options were under review this week, RacingNews365 understands that whilst F1 is doing all it can to avoid a blank month, the realisation is that there may now be no race between the Japanese Grand Prix in late March and the Miami GP in early May.

The likes of Imola in Italy, Portimão in Portugal, and Istanbul have all been mentioned as potential hosts. Turkey, however, was also attacked on Wednesday. Missiles were shot down as they entered Turkish airspace.

The biggest concern for any promoter of a race in Italy or Portugal, for argument's sake, is logistically being able to stage a race at such short notice, and being able to recoup enough money in ticket sales to help cover any hosting fee it would be asked to pay. 

F1 and various circuits reacted swiftly when Covid struck in 2020, but on that occasion, more time was afforded for the sport to liaise with potential hosts and map out a calendar. This time around, time is a commodity F1 does not have.