FIA WEC ‘closely monitoring’ situation in Qatar ahead of planned season opener

The ongoing security situation in the Middle East looks set to have some potentially far-reaching effects on major events in the region.

Both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian F1 Grands Prix are set to take place in a matter of weeks but before that the Prologue test and opening round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship is planned later this month with the two day test on the March 23-24 and the 10-hour 1812 km of Qatar on Saturday, March 28 at Lusail Circuit, close to the Qatari capital of Doha.

The FIA WEC has issued the following statement this morning:

“The FIA World Endurance Championship is closely monitoring the ongoing situation in the Middle East – a process of rigorous assessment that has been underway for several weeks. The safety and security of our competitors, personnel and fans remains our absolute priority. Accordingly, the FIA WEC management is in constant, direct communication with the relevant authorities in Qatar.

“FIA WEC is holding regular meetings with the Qatari authorities regarding the forthcoming Prologue and Qatar 1812km events, scheduled to take place on 22-23 March and 26-28 March respectively. We will continue to evaluate the situation daily. Further updates will be communicated if necessary.”

Among the difficulties on the table for the WEC are the fact that substantial quantities of team equipment, including several of the cars, are already in Qatar.

With commercial flights heavily impacted by the current situation, and direct sea freight routes also unavailable at present, there are few easy answers available, and the few that are need uncomfortably rapid decisions.