If you’ve kept your eye on social media and current affairs, you’re probably across the conflict in the Middle East, with the United States and Israel launching a joint military operation in Iran on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
And while Melbourne is gearing up for the season opener of the 2026 Formula One season, numerous reports have revealed some F1 staff have been caught up in the aftermath, with some workers reportedly stuck in Bahrain after a planned tyre event was cancelled due to missile warnings in the area.
According to a report from Sky News Sports, approximately 100 staff from McLaren and Mercedes-AMG – and a further 20 Pirelli staff – are among those trying to find their way out of Bahrain, one of the countries affected by the ongoing conflict.
Despite tensions in the Middle East, an Australian Grand Prix Corporation spokesperson said the event is expected to continue.
“Formula 1 management have informed us travel arrangements are being worked through for the teams and Formula 1 employees. There are no expected impacts to the Australian events,” they told Drive.
It's unclear how many staff are currently finding alternative travel plans, but according to Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chief Executive Officer Travis Auld, teams are working on temporary plans to address the situation, with essential staff expected to arrive in Melbourne before the start of the race.
“I’m sure the teams have contingency plans. I think there’s obviously critical race staff and they’ve been prioritised, and they were the first ones to confirm a new flight plan,” Auld said on Nine’s Today show.
It's believed all 22 drivers including Australian Oscar Piastri are safe and are already in Melbourne, ahead of the season opener set to take place from 5 March 2026.
The 2026 F1 calendar features two races in two affected Middle Eastern countries, with the Bahrain Grand Prix expected to run in round four (10–12 April 2026) and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in the fifth round (17–19 April 2026).
While race organisers are yet to confirm if these two GPs will be cancelled, an F1 spokesperson told the Associated Press it is closely looking at the situation before making a final decision.
“Our next three races are in Australia, China and Japan and not in the Middle East – those races are not for a number of weeks,” an F1 spokesperson told the Associated Press on 28 February 2026.
“As always, we closely monitor any situation like this and work closely with relevant authorities.”
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
