Verstappen says earlier comments were not a refusal to race in Qatar or Abu Dhabi

Max Verstappen says his warning over Formula 1’s Qatar and Abu Dhabi races was not a refusal to compete. He said he would be happy to race there under the right conditions and trusted F1 and the FIA to decide whether the events should go ahead, because they had more information than the drivers.

The clarification followed a question about whether his earlier comments meant he might boycott the two rounds. In late September, Verstappen told Viaplay that F1 should not go to the Middle East if neighbouring countries remained in conflict, regardless of existing contracts. He also said the decision was not his to make.

The schedule had already changed elsewhere in the region: the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled, while Bahrain’s round was moved to Sepang and shifted from April to October. Recent strikes against Iran and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including King Khalid International Airport and Aramco’s headquarters, have fuelled fresh safety concerns.

Formula 1 has kept Imola on standby as a possible replacement finale on 6 December, while organisers in Qatar and Abu Dhabi insist their races remain on schedule.