Could Australia host multiple F1 races amid bomb strikes?

• What time is the Australian Grand Prix?

Australian Grand Prix CEO Travis Auld has dismissed fears the conflict in the Middle East will impact this weekend’s season opening Grand Prix in Melbourne with travel disruptions preventing F1 officials from exiting Bahrain.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that McLaren and Mercedes staff were prevented from leaving country where they had been set for a two-day tyre testing event with Pirelli.

Amid the escalation of unrest and explosions across the Middle East following Iranian strikes in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, major airports have closed with F1 teams forced to alter their plans for staff and cargo to arrive in Melbourne.

“F1 are experts at moving people around the world. They’ve quickly rescheduled flights. I’m told everyone’s now locked in and arriving within the required timeframes,” Auld said on Monday morning.

“So, there’ll be no impact on our race, but it’s certainly been a busy 48 hours.”

Australia’s Oscar Piastri and teammate Lando Norris were not in Bahrain with the McLaren staff and will be in Australian this week.

Given the impact of the unrest, there are also concerns that a number of forthcoming races on the F1 calendar will be impacted.

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are both due to host races next month but for now the F1 authorities insist plans have not changed.

Four years ago drivers were involved in tense talks as to whether they would race at the Saudi Grand Prix after a missile struck an Aramco facility not far from the Jeddah track during a practice session.

Auld was asked about the possibility of Melbourne playing host to multiple races, should a ceasefire not be agreed.

“Depends on when it was,” Auld said.

“Obviously we spend a lot of time constructing this circuit and then straight after the race, we pull it all back down again so the community can use it.

“It’d need to be pretty quickly after our race. I don’t imagine that’ll be the case. They’ll have other plans.”

The Australian Grand Prix is this weekend Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8

• 3pm AEDT: Victoria, NSW, ACT, Tasmania
• 2:30pm ACDT: South Australia
• 2pm: AEST: Queensland
• 1.30pm ACST: Northern Territory
• 12pm: AWST: Western Australia

Weekend schedule (AEDT)
• Free practice 1: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Friday, March 6
• Free practice 2: 4pm-5pm, Friday March 6
• Free practice 3: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Saturday, March 7
• Qualifying: 4pm-5pm, Saturday March 7
• Grand prix: 3pm, Sunday March 8