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Japan Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Times
F1 has a plan if Middle East races cannot happen, says chief
Formula One has a plan to keep the show on the road should season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be affected by conflict in the Middle East, chief executive Stefano Domenicali said on Tuesday. The Italian emphasised there was no current concern they might not be held. Qatar is due to host the penultimate round of the championship on Nov. 30 with Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina following on Dec. 7 with what has been a title decider in the past. Iran responded to U.S. participation in Israel's 12-day air war against Iran last month by firing missiles at a U.S. airbase in Qatar, just across the Gulf from Iran. Airline services in the Middle East have been heavily disrupted with some countries closing their airspace for a period. Domenicali said Formula One was in daily contact with promoters in the Middle East, who he said remained relaxed, and closely monitoring the situation. "To say something on that is very, very difficult," he replied when asked if he felt there was a real risk of the races not happening. "So far, we don't have this kind of signal and so we are really hoping not. So I don't want to even think about it, mainly for the bigger picture and not for the racing itself ... and of course in case of, we have a plan. "But let's hope this will not be even thinkable." Qatar and Abu Dhabi are the last two races in a triple-header on successive weekends that starts with Las Vegas on November 22 with the cars then flown straight to the Middle East. While weather conditions in December would make it tricky to host replacement races at some European tracks there are warmer options such as Portugal's Algarve circuit, which was used during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Europe is big, the temperatures are quite mild in certain areas," said Domenicali, who agreed one circuit might host both races. "Definitely we cannot go in places where there will be snow. "But as I said, I am not even thinking about that. "We are not worried at all that this will have an effect on the championship." Formula One raced in Saudi Arabia in 2022 despite attacks launched by Yemen's Houthis on an oil facility near the Jeddah street circuit. Domenicali said Formula One was there then because it was sure of the guarantees of safety but recognized situations could change fast. "We just need to be always ready and monitor the situation," he said.
Malay Mail
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
F1 has contingency plan if Qatar, Abu Dhabi races face disruption, says Domenicali
LONDON, July 2 — Formula One has a plan to keep the show on the road should season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be affected by conflict in the Middle East, chief executive Stefano Domenicali said on Tuesday. The Italian emphasised there was no current concern they might not be held. Qatar is due to host the penultimate round of the championship on November 30 with Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina following on December 7 with what has been a title decider in the past. Iran responded to US participation in Israel's 12-day air war against Iran last month by firing missiles at a US airbase in Qatar, just across the Gulf from Iran. Airline services in the Middle East have been heavily disrupted with some countries closing their airspace for a period. Domenicali said Formula One was in daily contact with promoters in the Middle East, who he said remained relaxed, and closely monitoring the situation. 'To say something on that is very, very difficult,' he replied when asked if he felt there was a real risk of the races not happening. 'So far, we don't have this kind of signal and so we are really hoping not. So I don't want to even think about it, mainly for the bigger picture and not for the racing itself... and of course in case of, we have a plan. 'But let's hope this will not be even thinkable.' Qatar and Abu Dhabi are the last two races in a triple-header on successive weekends that starts with Las Vegas on November 22 with the cars then flown straight to the Middle East. While weather conditions in December would make it tricky to host replacement races at some European tracks there are warmer options such as Portugal's Algarve circuit, which was used during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Europe is big, the temperatures are quite mild in certain areas,' said Domenicali, who agreed one circuit might host both races. 'Definitely we cannot go in places where there will be snow. 'But as I said, I am not even thinking about that. 'We are not worried at all that this will have an effect on the championship.' Formula One raced in Saudi Arabia in 2022 despite attacks launched by Yemen's Houthis on an oil facility near the Jeddah street circuit. Domenicali said Formula One was there then because it was sure of the guarantees of safety but recognised situations could change fast. 'We just need to be always ready and monitor the situation,' he said. — Reuters
CNA
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
F1 has a plan if Middle East races cannot happen
LONDON :Formula One has a plan to keep the show on the road should season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be affected by conflict in the Middle East, chief executive Stefano Domenicali said on Tuesday. The Italian emphasised there was no current concern they might not be held. Qatar is due to host the penultimate round of the championship on November 30 with Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina following on December 7 with what has been a title decider in the past. Iran responded to U.S. participation in Israel's 12-day air war against Iran last month by firing missiles at a U.S. airbase in Qatar, just across the Gulf from Iran. Airline services in the Middle East have been heavily disrupted with some countries closing their airspace for a period. Domenicali said Formula One was in daily contact with promoters in the Middle East, who he said remained relaxed, and closely monitoring the situation. "To say something on that is very, very difficult," he replied when asked if he felt there was a real risk of the races not happening. "So far, we don't have this kind of signal and so we are really hoping not. So I don't want to even think about it, mainly for the bigger picture and not for the racing itself... and of course in case of, we have a plan. "But let's hope this will not be even thinkable." Qatar and Abu Dhabi are the last two races in a triple-header on successive weekends that starts with Las Vegas on November 22 with the cars then flown straight to the Middle East. While weather conditions in December would make it tricky to host replacement races at some European tracks there are warmer options such as Portugal's Algarve circuit, which was used during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Europe is big, the temperatures are quite mild in certain areas," said Domenicali, who agreed one circuit might host both races. "Definitely we cannot go in places where there will be snow. "But as I said, I am not even thinking about that. "We are not worried at all that this will have an effect on the championship." Formula One raced in Saudi Arabia in 2022 despite attacks launched by Yemen's Houthis on an oil facility near the Jeddah street circuit. Domenicali said Formula One was there then because it was sure of the guarantees of safety but recognised situations could change fast.
Telegraph
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Middle East conflict could force Formula One to move two races
Formula One has acknowledged that both the Qatar and Abu Dhabi end-of-season grands prix could be relocated if conflict in the Middle East intensifies. The likelihood of an emergency switch is being played down but F1 executives are in daily contact with promoters and have a contingency plan. With four races now held in the region, Stefano Domenicali, the F1 chief executive, said the championship is inevitably exposed to 'geopolitical risk'. 'Of course we are monitoring in the area that there are very unfortunate conflicts, and we are exposed on the promotional side, mainly in the Middle East,' he said. 'We are in daily contact with their promoters there.' After air strikes in the past month involving Israel, Iran and the US, Domenicali maintained 'we have a plan'. He said, however, that promoters are 'not worried at all' that the races are currently in danger. When asked to clarify whether there is a genuine risk of the races being moved, he added: 'So far, we don't have this kind of signal, and so we are really hoping not. I don't want to even think about it, mainly for the bigger picture, not for the racing itself.' An F1 spokesman added that contingency plans were always in place for global events, pointing to scheduling changes made during the pandemic. 'It's definitely serious' The latest Foreign Office advice following a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 24 states that travellers must 'stay up to date with events in the region'. Domenicali said: 'We're talking about human beings and bombs, so it's definitely serious. But of course, when we consider all the things, we consider the safety devices that are in place. 'Remember, two years ago there was the Houthi attack in Saudi Arabia – we then went there because we were sure about the guarantee that we had in terms of safety. It was guaranteed to the system that we were moving there. So of course, it's a judgment that we will take with the right people, the right knowledge.' Domenicali, who will be part of an F1 delegation at Downing Street on Wednesday, added in a wide-ranging London briefing ahead of the British Grand Prix that the Silverstone race is here to stay. He did, however, say he would ask the Prime Minister about helping the sport with logistical challenges post-Brexit, such as visa difficulties for staff flying in from Europe for the week. 'We need to make sure that all the people related to the ecosystem of F1 can come to perform their duties with no limitation,' he said, 'because they are part of a group of thousands that are moving for the races.' Business is booming for F1 and Domenicali, 59, is contracted as chief executive until 2029. The sport claims to be worth £12 billion to the UK economy annually. Domenicali, who was team principal at Ferrari between 2008 and 2014 before becoming chief executive of Lamborghini in 2016, will make the case to Sir Keir Starmer for Silverstone's need for improved road infrastructure ahead of the record attendances anticipated this week. While cities globally bid to become F1 destinations, the Italian, who succeeded Chase Carey as F1 CEO in 2021, says Silverstone can remain on the calendar 'forever'. 'I do believe that, in that respect, Silverstone has the right characteristics to stay forever in the calendar because there's no other places where you can develop such a huge event in the UK,' he said. 'I don't see any other places.' Ahead of his Government meeting, Domenicali said his intention was 'keep the centricity of UK in our ecosystem' – with 6,000 people directly employed in the UK in the sport. Last year Silverstone produced the largest attendance of any event on the F1 calendar, with 480,000 fans. That number is expected to be beaten by Sunday.
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'Scary' David Beckham incident that left Martin Brundle shaken up at F1 race
Martin Brundle has interviewed a host of celebrities during his time on the F1 grid, but there have been few incidents that have left him feeling as shaken as when he tried to talk to David Beckham Martin Brundle has opened up about a "scary" encounter he had when he tried to interview David Beckham during one of his famous F1 grid walks. The Sky Sports commentator has been a part of the motorsport world for over four decades. As both a driver and broadcaster, Brundle is a respected figure in the sport. However, the current generation of F1 fans may best know him for his pre-race grid walks, where he chats with celebrities and other stars on the grid. Over the years, Brundle has had engaging conversations with some of the biggest names in showbiz and sport on the grid. However, not all have been keen to chat with the 66-year-old, leading to some less-than-stellar interviews. One such instance involved Manchester United legend Beckham, whom Brundle bumped into at the Miami Grand Prix in 2022. The ex-England skipper, who is now the co-owner of MLS team Inter Miami, was attending his local Grand Prix. After spotting him, Brundle made a beeline to grab a quick word with the football superstar. Although he managed to briefly discuss F1's presence in Florida, Brundle later admitted that he was not sure why he bothered. However, it appears he was more determined to speak to the former free-kick specialist, having failed to get a word with him at the Qatar GP that year. At the time, Beckham had accepted a multi-million-pound deal to be a paid ambassador for the Qatar World Cup. Beckham was on the grid at the same time as Brundle, but he was far from alone. The Sky Sports reporter told SPORTbible:"I was in Qatar trying to speak to David Beckham and there were two guys man-marking me. "Wherever I went, they were just looking at me! They did not want me to talk to David Beckham on that grid; the World Cup was coming up, wasn't it? That was a little bit scary. "They were literally on the grid to stop me. So, I went round the back of [Lewis] Hamilton's car, and they went round the front and kind of just looked at me. That was a little bit odd." In a subsequent interview with GQ Magazine, Brundle was notably critical about his brief interaction with Beckham. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the grid walk and numerous celebrity guests, he maintained that it is still his domain. Brundle said: "I was pretty determined to speak to him. And then when I did, I thought, 'I don't know why I bothered', basically. "I didn't feel good about it, particularly. I don't like bothering people. If they don't want to talk to you, they don't want to talk to you. There are plenty of people who do. "You've got to remember I've been on a F1 grid for 38 years, well over half the life of Formula 1. I've been to well over half of the grands prix in the history of Formula 1, so I feel pretty comfortable in that space – I feel it's my territory."
