Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain scheduled

◆2 sources

Formula 1’s Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix remain on the schedule despite concerns among drivers and teams about security in the Middle East. Carlos Sainz said the decision to proceed was premature while conditions in the region remain uncertain, before later saying he trusted the FIA and Formula 1 to put safety first and make the right decision.

The planned Qatar MotoGP race has also faced concerns, with Yamaha refusing to send its factory and Pramac teams. Formula 1 has not cancelled its final two races, though Imola has been identified as a possible replacement if either event cannot go ahead.

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Planned Qatar and Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grands Prix

3 sources

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the Formula 1 Grands Prix in Qatar on 29 November and Abu Dhabi on 6 December would go ahead as planned. He said the FIA would not send personnel, drivers or officials to unsafe locations and said he considered the United Arab Emirates safe. The races have been questioned amid regional instability, after the Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to Malaysia and the Saudi Arabian race was removed from the calendar for security reasons. Ben Sulayem said he could not guarantee that nothing would happen during the Qatar and Abu Dhabi events, but maintained that there was no unrest there. He also said the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia would continue.

Sports

Dakar Rally planned to move from Saudi Arabia to Africa

3 sources

Dakar Rally organizer A.S.O. informed participating teams that the 2027 event is planned to move from Saudi Arabia to Africa because of the war and unrest in Saudi Arabia, although no official announcement had yet been made. Participants cited in the reports welcomed the alternative after uncertainty over whether the rally could proceed. One report said the proposed rally would start in Europe on 9 January, cross to Morocco and finish in Africa on 22 January, with 12 stages and 4,300 competitive kilometres; the precise start location and whether the route would extend beyond Morocco remained unclear. Some competitors, including Ronald van Loon, had already chosen the separate Africa Eco Race instead.