Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says Formula 1 is right to go ahead with its plans to race in the Middle East.

Many sports including other motor racing series cancelled events in the region due to the US-Iran war. However F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media held its Moto GP event in Qatar last weekend, despite one manufacturer staying away due to concerns over the safety of travelling to the region.

F1 confirmed this week it has abandoned its back-up plan to relocate the final round of 2026 to Imola in Italy if its planned events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot go ahead.

Wolff said those questioning the wisdom of racing in the Middle East should pay less attention to media coverage and listen to those in charge of the series.

“For me, with our social media feed, we are always at risk of seeing what we want to see,” he told the BBC. “I believe you need to trust what the authorities say. You need to rely on the commercial rights holder, that’s F1, and the FIA as our governing body.”

However Wolff said no staff will be forced to attend the final two rounds and anyone choosing not to could hand an opportunity to a replacement.

“I strongly support that if someone doesn’t want to go to Qatar or Abu Dhabi, personally doesn’t want to, then I’m very fine with that,” he said. “We don’t want to oblige anyone. There’s not going to be any sanctions, or so on, on teams.

“If you don’t feel right about going there, then I have respect for that, and don’t go. It gives an opportunity maybe to someone else to be tested and to see how another person would perform in the future. That’s how I would approach it.”

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