The conflict in the Middle East has caused the cancellation of the Qatar 1812 km, first race of the World Endurance Championship, scheduled to take place in Qatar at the Losail circuit on March 28. It will not be moved to other circuits, and instead the WEC will start in Imola, with a 6-hour race on April 19.
The race in Qatar will be reschedule later in the 2026 season. Of course, if the conflict allows it. "FIA continues to monitor developments in the region, and our thoughts are with all those affected by these recent events as we hope for calm, safety, and a return to stability," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the International Automobile Federation, in a press release.
Held for the first time in 2024, this endurance race, with a maximum time limit of 10 hours and 355 laps around the Lusail International Circuit (which also hosts the F1 Qatar Grand Prix) serves as the opener of the FIA World Endurance Championship, which will consist of seven more races, including the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Up in the air are the Formula 1 races in Bahrain (April 12) and Saudi Arabia (April 19) but if the conflict does not deescalate in the coming days (and it doesn't seem like it will) they will likely be replaced in the calendar with Imola or Portimao.