Steiner: “If the war had started earlier, then…”

The Formula 1 season kicks off on Sunday. The first Grand Prix of 2026 will be held in Melbourne, Australia. However, the outbreak of war in the Middle East almost derailed those plans.

March 03, 2026

From: cst

Günther Steiner is a well-known figure and a true insider in the Formula 1 world. The long-time Haas team principal now works as an expert for the German private broadcaster. RTL Traveling with the Formula 1 entourage. The start in Melbourne hung by a thread, as Steiner revealed: "If war had broken out on Thursday or Friday, something would certainly have been stuck on the way to Australia," the Merano native told us. sport.de, RTL and NTV.

The reason for this, according to Steiner, is that almost all Formula 1 teams rely on the logistics of Qatar Airways. "They have the largest cargo fleet in the world. They start in Europe and make a stopover in Qatar."

"It would have been possible for everything to be located in Qatar." Gunther Steiner

After Israel and the US attacked the regime in Iran, a conflagration spread across the Middle East. Almost every country has been drawn into the outbreak of war in some way since Saturday. "It would have been possible for everything to be stuck in Qatar and for no cars to get to Melbourne," said Steiner.

More complicated planning due to flight delays

Around 150 tons (!) of material are shipped or flown in for each race weekend. The cars arrive on site about ten days before the race starts, as Steiner revealed. The South Tyrolean himself is currently also in Melbourne. Personnel transport has also become more difficult due to the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Many flight routes to Australia normally go via the Middle East. However, this is not a deal-breaker, according to Steiner: "Planning is becoming more difficult. But the start of the season is not in doubt."

Keywords Motorsport Formula 1 Gunther Steiner Melbourne Middle East