Formula 1 monitoring war ahead of next month’s races in the Middle East

The military attacks the U.S. and Israel launched recently against Iran have sparked Iranian retaliation and created turmoil in the region, casting a cloud over Formula 1 races scheduled in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month.

It’s a fluid situation. But for now, Formula 1 officials say they’re not worried and expect to carry out each of the race weekends.

“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan, not in the Middle East — those races are not for a number of weeks,” a spokesperson for F1 said. “As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”

The season starts this weekend. The grand prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to be held April 12 and April 19, respectively.