Haas boss Ayao Komatsu called on Formula 1 to make a decision regarding its forthcoming Middle Eastern rounds within the next week amid the ongoing conflict.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are due to respectively host rounds four and five of the 2026 F1 campaign on 12 and 19 April, but that is currently in doubt due to the Iran war.
Iran has been engaged in conflict with the United States and Israel since February, when the two nations launched attacks targeting its leaders. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on US military bases across the Middle Eastern region, and there is no sign of the conflict slowing down.
The conflict led the World Endurance Championship to postpone its Qatar season opener, initially scheduled for 26-28 March, and it is likely F1 will do the same but there’s still no official confirmation.
After being asked when teams need to know, Komatsu said: “Last week? No, honestly, the sooner the better. I’m sure, obviously, F1’s dealing with the things that I’m not aware of.
“So, yeah, I don’t know. But obviously, as a team, the sooner we know, the better. We’ve got to know within this week for sure. I’m sure we will.”
The issue is that, although F1 is currently in China with Japan up next, teams still have sea freight in both Bahrain – particularly after pre-season testing – and Saudi, so it presents vast logistical headaches.
“That’s all set up, so even if we want to move it, we need to send someone to pack those up, which is impossible,” added Komatsu. “Whatever’s in Bahrain is not going anywhere. It’s a big problem – honestly, the sooner we know, the better.”
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
But drivers and team bosses have still largely reaffirmed their confidence that F1 boss Stefano Domenicali and the FIA will do what’s right for the championship, as it continually monitors the ongoing situation.
“I know that Stefano will do what’s right for all of us and for the sport,” said Lewis Hamilton. “So that’s the great thing with having a good leader like him.”
This means that teams and drivers are simply at the mercy of the bosses to make the decision, as Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley said: “I think we follow the guidance of the FIA and Formula 1, as we always do.
“They’ve always led us in the right direction. Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation.
“One of the biggest sides of the business is the logistics side to it, not just parts but also people moving it around the world.
“Teams are so good at that. It’s just a bump in the road if something were to happen in that respect, you would just deal with it. I don’t see any real issues, to be honest.”
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