The new conflict in the Middle East between Israel and United States and Iran has caused the closure of the airspace of United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which are frequently used as middle destinations in flights from Europe to Australia. This has caused dozens of flight cancellations, affecting thousands of passengers, but won't disrupt the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, the season opener set to take place between March 6-8 this weekend.
"The last 48 hours have required flight reorganizations," Australian Grand Prix director Travis Auld said on Monday. "From what I understand, everything is now sorted, everyone will be there for the race, and the fans won't notice any difference". Around 1,000 people work every Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.
Auld said that some drivers and team members were already in Australia before the flight cancellations, while others found a different route. The freights carrying the cars are already there, Auld added (via RMC Sport).
It seems clear that the Australia Grand Prix will happen as usual, and the next two races in Shanghai (March 15) and Japan (March 29) are also set to happen without incidents. However, there will be two Grand Prix in the Middle East: Bahrain on April 12 and Saudi Arabia on April 19. So far, Formula 1 has not made a decision to cancel or postpone the races. "As always, we are closely monitoring any situation of this nature and working in close cooperation with the relevant authorities".