Australian Grand Prix organisers say they are confident the travel chaos caused by the Middle East conflict will not affect this weekend’s opening Formula 1 race in Melbourne.
Nearly 1,000 F1 staff have had to change their flights after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, leading to disruptions across major air routes in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Around 500 staff are expected to travel from Europe on charter planes.
Australian F1 chief Travis Auld said all arrangements have now been sorted and everyone will arrive in time, with fans unlikely to notice any difference.
F1 said it is closely monitoring the situation, especially with races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for April. However, upcoming races in Australia, China and Japan are not expected to be affected.
