NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA still plans for Qatar to stage the Argentina vs. Spain game known as Finalissima this month even as the emirate is targeted by Iranian missiles in the widening Middle East war started by Israel and the United States.
“At present, there are no alternative venues being considered,” UEFA said on Thursday about the scheduled March 27 game in Doha between the reigning champions of South America and Europe in a likely matchup of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.
“A final decision is anticipated towards the end of next week,” said the European soccer body which organizes the game with South American counterpart CONMEBOL.
Argentina and Spain are due to play at Lusail Stadium that staged the epic 2022 World Cup final. Argentina won a penalty shootout against France after Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappé got a hat track in a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Qatar has close relations with UEFA. Its top soccer official Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the president of Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, is a member of the UEFA executive committee.
“Discussions are ongoing with the local organizers who have made a huge effort to make the match a success,” UEFA said.
If Doha is too much of a security risk to host the game, it could be moved to Spain or elsewhere in Europe where nearly all the players in the two squads are based.
The first Finalissima was at Wembley Stadium in London in June 2022. Argentina and Messi beat Italy 3-0.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Firefighters work as smoke rises outside a damaged warehouse in an industrial area in Al Rayyan, Qatar, following an Iranian strike, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo)
FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi hoists the winning team replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy during a celebration ceremony for local fans after an international friendly soccer match against Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello, file)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Aston Martin has predicted it is unlikely to finish Formula 1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday without its drivers risking permanent nerve damage.
Adrian Newey, the F1 car design great who’s heading into his first race as Aston Martin’s team principal, said Thursday the team's Honda power unit causes vibrations which could damage the hands of drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Neither will likely be able to tolerate even half of the 58-lap race distance and the car's race time will be “very heavily restricted” until a solution is found, Newey added.
Aston Martin had a poor preseason, often slower even than new team Cadillac and it logged the fewest laps of all 11 teams.
“That vibration (transmitted from Honda’s power unit) into the chassis is causing a few reliability problems,” Newey said.
“Mirrors falling off the car, tail lights falling off, that sort of thing, which we are having to address. But the much more significant problem with that is that that vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver’s fingers.
“So Fernando is of the feeling that he can’t do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage into his hands. Lance is of the opinion that he can’t do more than 15 laps before that threshold.
“We are going to have to be very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration — and to improve the vibration at source.”
Despite the long list of issues, Newey says the AMR26 car has tremendous potential as F1 starts a new era of regulations.
He argued the chassis is F1’s fifth best behind the expected top teams Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull and that, following an aggressive development program, has the potential to run at the front at some point in 2026.
Alonso, though, is keeping the faith until Friday practice in Melbourne, where he believes fixes on the car might provide a sunnier outlook.
“For us, it’s just vibrating everything,” the two-time F1 champion said.
“But it’s not only for us. The car is struggling a little bit, so that’s why we have some issues, some reliability problems that made our days slightly short.
“Since (preseason testing in) Bahrain, there were a couple of tests done and some of the solutions are implemented on the car now, so (I’m) curious to see what (happens) tomorrow (and) if we can improve.”
Its disappointing performance has been variously attributed to a compressed design time due to late arrival, Honda’s need to rebuild its research and development capabilities after leaving Red Bull, the challenge of producing a new in-house gearbox, and the team running a so-far unproven fuels partner in Aramco.
But it’s the side effects that will likely sideline its cars early in Sunday’s race at Albert Park.
Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas joked about Aston Martin’s lack of form. Asked to pick title contenders, he listed Alonso and Stroll alongside Mercedes’ George Russell -- who’s widely considered one of the favorites -- and suggested Mercedes wouldn't catch Aston Martin until the final race of the season.
“They’re going to beat Aston at the very end in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
This story corrects Newey quote about Aston Martin having problems with “mirrors falling off the car” and not “off the air.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll of Canada arrives at the track ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain arrives at the track ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey, left, talks with a team member as he arrives at the track ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park, in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
