Could Abu Dhabi GP be cancelled? F1 safety fears over Gaza conflict

F1

Questions have been asked about the safety of F1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, over fears that an Israeli invasion of Gaza will destabilise the Middle East and make the UAE a target

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2022

The 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could be at threat due to on-going conflicts in the Middle-East

Grand Prix Photo

F1 teams have questioned the safety of this year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as growing instability in the Middle East threatens peace in the region.

Officials are understood to be monitoring the situation over fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could draw in neighbouring countries and factions, making the United Arab Emirates, including Abu Dhabi, a target.

The issue was discussed briefly last weekend in Austin when one team principal asked about the risks of racing at the Yas Marina circuit during a meeting with F1 officials.

They were told that the threat level is not currently seen as significant, and the race is due to go ahead as planned on November 26. However, governments are preparing for the possibility that conflict will spread beyond Gaza following Hamas’s terror attacks in Israel earlier this month.

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix missile attack

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix went ahead despite a missile attack 10 miles from the circuit, an attack by Houthi rebels in response to Saudi’s bombing of the Yemen – but Russian GP was cancelled due to Ukraine conflict

DPPI

America is racing to shore up air defences around its military facilities in the region, which include the Al-Dhafra air base, 30 miles away from the Abu Dhabi circuit.

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It is feared that Israel’s imminent invasion of Gaza could disrupt the fragile balance of power in the region, potentially drawing Hamas-supporting Iran into the conflict, along with other groups that it backs, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, has deepened ties with Israel in recent years and is allied with the US, which has already made both countries a target for attacks.

Two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels at the Al-Dhafra base were intercepted by the US last year. They came a week after drone attacks on an Abu Dhabi oil depot, which killed three people, and at the international airport, virtually adjacent to Yas Marina, which started a fire.

Later in the year, another Houthi attack struck a Saudi Arabian oil facility during the Grand Prix weekend, which came close to cancellation during a fraught drivers’ meeting.

Should the situation escalate, then practical concerns could also threaten the Abu Dhabi race, with the potential for flight disruptions in the area.

F1 has not commented on the situation.