Carlos Sainz casts doubt on F1's Middle East season finale: “Difficult to be convinced” New York Times (Online) Alex Kalinauckas AUSTIN, Texas — Williams driver Carlos Sainz feels it is “premature” to suggest there is any certainty that Formula 1's remaining Middle East races will go ahead as planned in 2026, after recent optimistic comments from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The 2026 campaign is set to conclude with events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Still, it is far from certain whether they can go ahead due to the ongoing conflict in the region, after Israel and the United States attacked Iran in February. Qatar has not been untouched: in early March, the country said two drones launched from Iran had targeted its energy infrastructure. The hostilities forced F1 to call off its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with the former a regular target for Iranian attacks in 2026 because it hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Bahrain's race was later rescheduled to Malaysia's Sepang circuit, which ran under the Bahrain Grand Prix name earlier this month. Saudi Arabia's remains off the 2026 calendar. As it stands, the F1 organization says the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races will go ahead as planned. Still, it has readied the Imola track in northern Italy as a replacement for Abu Dhabi if the conflict widens again. An Imola finale would be the first time an F1 season has ended in Europe since 1997. The FIA's World Endurance Championship has already moved its planned Middle East rounds to Barcelona and Monza. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that the U.S. and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3, pending President Donald Trump's final approval. Iran has repeatedly responded to U.S. strikes by attacking American bases in Gulf states, including Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. The Qatar race is scheduled for Nov. 29, with Abu Dhabi slated for Dec. 6. Ben Sulayem, meanwhile, told reporters this week that it was “fine” to hold motorsport events in the Middle East. He added: “I can only tell you today that there is nothing, and the two races are going to happen.” Ben Sulayem, an Emirati, helped organize the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009. In September, he told the Associated Press that “human lives are more important than motor sport.” Sainz was asked about the races Thursday at the FIA news conference ahead of this weekend's U.S. Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas south of Austin, Texas. “They seem very convinced that it's going to go ahead,” said Sainz, a director of the F1 drivers' body, the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. “On my personal side, and not speaking as the GPDA, it's very difficult to be convinced right now because there are still things happening in the Middle East. “And also there is obviously an election that is going to happen in the U.S. and things that are going to happen on the political side of the world that could affect the next month, month-and-a-half, very suddenly. “So, I think it's relatively premature to be so convinced.” Sainz said that he would race in both Qatar and Abu Dhabi, “if the FIA and Formula 1 decide that it's still a safe and good scenario.” “I think we as drivers have to go with whatever they say,” he added. “It's not like we have as much political information, as much inside information as they have, for sure. So, we need to follow their lead and trust in their decision-making. But only as it stands. “The world can change a lot in the next month, one month-and-a-half, and we need to stay diligent and reactive to whatever happens, and not just go because we want to go right now.” After Sainz's comments began circulating online, Craig Woodhouse, Williams' head of communications, sent a note to the media, including The Athletic . Acknowledging the “understandable emphasis” on Sainz saying it was “difficult to be convinced,” Woodhouse pointed reporters to the driver's “full comments” and attached a new statement attributed to Sainz: “Following some reporting of my comments in the press conference earlier today about ending the season in the Middle East, I want to be clear that I know the FIA and Formula 1 will put safety first and completely trust them to make the right decision. We look forward to racing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.”