Formula 2 considering options as upcoming Middle Eastern races highly unlikely to happen

"I think they're looking at some potential alternatives," said Cadillac F1 team chief executive Dan Towriss, whose American test driver Colton Herta is racing in Formula 2 with the Hitech team, in a video call after Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

"There may be another F2 race opportunity that comes up and so we'll see what happens. I don't think we know enough yet to know how big or how long, how extended that break will be for Colton."

Formula 2 has a test session scheduled for Bahrain on March 25 to 27 before the grand prix weekend on April 10 to 12, and a decision on the races could come before Formula 1 makes its call.

If the two Middle Eastern rounds are cancelled amid U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran, with Iranian drones and missiles hitting some Gulf capitals, Formula 2 would have no scheduled race until Monaco on June 4 to 7, whereas Formula 1 goes to Miami and Montreal in May.

An F2 source told Reuters that a standalone round in Europe to fill the gap would be possible, provided the circuit had the necessary timing infrastructure, but no decision had been taken and there was no immediate consensus.

Formula 1 looks likely to leave it as late as possible to make a decision on Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, although the current expectation is that both races will be cancelled without replacement. The F1 freight deadline for Bahrain is after next weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

"We'll let the officials do what they need to do and I have every confidence that they'll make the right decision for the sport," Towriss said. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)