Description; RIYADH (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will be canceled or rescheduled as the Middle East war engulfs the region, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Friday."F1 in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will not take place on its scheduled time," the source said, requesting anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic.The source added that Formula One will soon announce that races are "cancelled or postponed until a later date". Currently, Bahrain is scheduled for April 10-12 and Saudi Arabia a week later. However, the Gulf has been plagued by Iranian drone and missile attacks for two week.Tiny Bahrain, a short distance across the Gulf Sea from Iran, has been the target of frequent attacks that have targeted buildings and a refinery, as well as its large US base.Saudi Arabia has also faced numerous attacks, some of which have targeted oil infrastructure that is critical to the world's largest exporter of crude oil.Kimi Antonelli took pole position ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix and AFP in Shanghai asked about the possible cancellation of the Middle East races."My thoughts, and I think they're the same for Lewis and George, are with the people who are going through this situation," the 19-year-old Mercedes driver said"Formula One and the FIA, they will handle the situation in the best way possible to guarantee everyone's safety.""Maybe they already know, but let's wait and see ... I'm sure they'll do the right things.'' ''Neighboring Qatar has also been targeted by Iranian attacks, with the first round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), scheduled for March 26-28, now postponed until October."The current geopolitical instability in the Middle East forced the postponement of the Qatari competition," the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement on Friday.The 1,812-kilometer event will now take place from October 22 to 24, making it the final event of the season.The endurance racing season will now officially begin with the Six Hours of Imola in Italy from April 17-19..The FIA said that "the safety and security of competitors, officials and spectators is of the utmost importance... and all parties will continue to monitor developments in the region".
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