Imola still ready as Middle East uncertainty returns

Imola remains Formula 1’s emergency fallback despite Stefano Domenicali recently saying Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead, as the security situation in the Middle East worsens again.

Domenicali told the Financial Times that the decision had been made to retain both races, but added: "Imola is the venue that, in the event of force majeure before a certain date, would be ready to host the race."

That contingency now looks more relevant after another escalation in the region, including a missile strike that caused a fire at a Saudi Aramco facility in Dhahran - around 165 kilometres from the Lusail circuit.

Haas boss Ayao Komatsu had already said teams expected clarity by mid-October.

"I believe Stefano intended to communicate a decision to us by mid-October, so we all know exactly what the situation is," he said.

"I believe Imola is preparing for the event if we were to race there."

MotoGP faces the same problem even sooner, with its rescheduled Qatar race set for November 6-8.

Series boss Carlos Ezpeleta said in Indonesia: "We’re closely monitoring the situation."

"We’re planning towards going to Qatar, but obviously the safety and wellbeing of all the staff and fans is the number one priority," he added.

Several riders also sounded uneasy.

Francesco Bagnaia said: "If our safety really is a priority, then all aspects need to be carefully considered."

Alex Marquez was even less certain.

"Are we going or not? I’ve got my ticket, but I don’t know if we’re going," he admitted.

Pedro Acosta added: "We’re hired to do that, to go racing."

"If they drop a bomb, let’s hope it doesn’t land nearby."