Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Formula One teams Mercedes and Ferrari have given their employees the option to skip the final races of the 2026 season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi amid security concerns surrounding the situation in the Middle East.

Both teams' principals stressed that employees' decisions would be respected and would have no impact on their future relationship with the teams.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said at a press conference in São Paulo that staff safety remains one of the team's main priorities.

"If someone does not feel comfortable travelling, I will always respect that. It will have no impact on our relationship," Wolff emphasized.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur expressed a similar position. He said that despite the demanding racing calendar, the team would not force employees to travel.

"We are currently in the middle of a series of nine races in 11 weeks. But in any case, we will respect every team member's decision. If someone does not want to go, we will respect that," Vasseur said.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) had previously offered its employees the same option.

It is worth recalling that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix have already been cancelled this season due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The penultimate round of the Formula One World Championship, the Qatar Grand Prix, is scheduled for November 27–29, while the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi is set to take place on December 4–6.