FIA confident Qatar, Abu Dhabi will go ahead

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he is comfortable with Formula 1 finishing its season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi despite the continuing uncertainty across the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters at the opening of the FIA’s new Remote Operations Centre at Biggin Hill, Ben Sulayem said the situation currently appears safe enough for both races to proceed.

"Yeah, fine," he said.

"Does this say that there is nothing going to happen? I cannot predict this. I can only tell you today that there is nothing and the two races are going to happen."

Ben Sulayem added a particularly personal measure of his confidence, saying his own children are still in the Emirates.

"My children are there," he said.

"If I felt there was a risk, I would not leave my children there."

He added that he would also be comfortable sending FIA personnel to the races, while stressing that contingency plans remain available if the situation changes.

That confidence comes despite the deteriorating regional picture, with several sporting events already cancelled or postponed and Imola still lined up as the possible Formula 1 fallback.

Ben Sulayem was notably more cautious about January’s Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.

"Up to now we are there," he said.

"If you ask me ’is it going to happen?’, I don’t know. If you tell me ’is it going to be cancelled?’, I don’t know."

"There are options."

Max Verstappen, who had previously expressed clear reservations about racing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi under the wrong conditions, has also softened his tone.

Asked recently whether he could boycott the races, he replied: "I said that I didn’t want to race there?"

"I just said that I love going there, but, of course, under the right terms. But I trust that F1 and then the FIA will take the right decision because they will have more information than us, and that’s what we rely on."

Pressed again on whether a boycott was off the table, Verstappen said: "Like I said, I trust that they make the right call."