Aston Martin staff face anxiety over Middle East political shifts

Staff anxiety and political shifts

Mike Krack says staff at Aston Martin are asking questions because of their families. The Iranian News Agency Fars circulated a list of potential targets for retaliation if the United States and Israel launch further attacks on Iran, and this list includes many hotels used by F1 and MotoGP. Krack said people check to see if their hotel is on that list, but noted that things can change at any time. He said the media is "generating a lot of distraction and a lot of fear unnecessarily" regarding the Middle East situation. Krack also mentioned the feeling of being "left in the unknown" makes people uncomfortable. He added that he cannot always give his staff 100 per cent reassurance because the team often does not know what will happen, and this instability in the region means there could still be a last-minute change of plans for the season’s end. The US mid-term elections saw Democrats reclaim control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This result likely reduces the chance of Donald Trump instigating new attacks on Iran, especially since the US-Iran war was a factor in heavy Republican defeats. The region has already seen the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix cancelled and the Bahrain Grand Prix relocated to Malaysia. Kimi Antonelli leads the championship with 380 points, followed by Max Verstappen with 261 and Lewis Hamilton with 259.

Freight movements and Imola plans

F1 has already sent equipment to the Middle East for the end of the season. Freight from the Baku Grand Prix is heading to Qatar, while freight from the rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is moving to Abu Dhabi. The Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail is scheduled for 29 November, with the Abu Dhabi season-ender following on 6 December. If F1 switches the finale to Imola, the team would have to reroute or replace the equipment already in transit. F1 told ESPN that it has detailed evacuation plans at every event and has walked all 11 teams through scenarios for leaving a race at short notice. Organizers at Imola received the green light to build temporary grandstands more than six weeks ago. Although there were reports of a 10 November deadline to approve an Imola replacement, F1 says a decision could still be made after that date. The bar for changing course is high. A full return to the level of escalation seen in the Middle East at the start of the year would lead F1 to change its plans. F1 is in constant contact with the authorities in Qatar and the UAE regarding safety.

Team preparation and decision timelines

Audi racing director Allan McNish says the team is preparing for Qatar and Abu Dhabi as usual. He says all travel and logistics are moving in that direction and the decision to race belongs to the championship. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies noted that a change in plans would require practical work on things like European motorhome structures. Mike Krack spoke with team principal Andy Cowell. He said the team is convinced F1 will not take any unnecessary risks. F1 is in constant contact with authorities in Qatar and the UAE and says both races are safe as long as the situation remains stable. Krack said F1 is evaluating the situation and has set deadlines. He also noted that F1 has much better information than the teams. Senior F1 figures think racing in Qatar is wrong if missiles start flying and personnel are trapped there. This could lead to enormous PR consequences if people get hurt or killed.