- Formula One cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races over security concerns.
- Bahrain and Jeddah events scheduled for April removed from calendar.
- Freight deadlines and regional attacks made race logistics impossible.
- Cancellation reduces 2026 Formula One season from 24 to 22 races.
Formula One has cancelled its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the sport and governing body FIA announced on Saturday, confirming what had been widely expected for several weeks.
The decision reduces the 2026 season from 24 to 22 races, with sources indicating the two rounds are unlikely to be rescheduled later in the year due to logistics and weather constraints.
The Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir desert circuit had been scheduled for April 12, followed a week later by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the floodlit Jeddah Corniche street circuit. Both events are night races and among the most high-profile on the calendar.
Why April Became Impossible
The freight deadline for equipment to be shipped to Bahrain was March 20 just five days away making the cancellation effectively inevitable once the security situation failed to improve. Iranian drone and missile attacks have struck Middle Eastern capitals including Bahrain's Manama, where team personnel would have been staying in hotels.
Airports across the region, including Manama, have closed. Iran has also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the critical shipping lane through which F1 freight would need to pass.
Bahrain is additionally the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, making it a potential military target in the current conflict. The FIA said several alternative venues had been considered but that it was ultimately decided to leave April blank entirely.
Also Read: Trump Rejects Iran Deal, Claims Gulf Is Now 'United' Against Tehran
A £90 Million Hit to the Balance Sheet
The two cancelled races represent a significant financial loss for Formula One, its teams and the host nations. Bahrain's hosting fee alone is estimated at around $45 million a year, with Saudi Arabia's fee likely to be higher. Combined, the two rounds account for a substantial portion of F1's annual race promotion revenues. Formula Two, Formula Three and the all-female F1 Academy rounds scheduled alongside both Grands Prix will also not take place.
The financial stakes extend beyond hosting fees. Bahrain's Mumtalakat sovereign wealth fund owns reigning constructors' champions McLaren, while Saudi oil giant Aramco is the title sponsor of Aston Martin. Both nations are deeply invested in the sport's commercial ecosystem.
Saudi Arabia's Sports Minister, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, said through the state news agency SPA that the Kingdom had been fully prepared to host the race and looked forward to doing so again. "We affirm to the international sporting community that the Kingdom was fully prepared to host this race, which it has previously hosted successfully and with distinction on five occasions," he said.
Miami Next, a Five-Week Gap
Formula One is currently racing in Shanghai, China, with Japan at Suzuka next on March 29. Miami will now be the following round on May 3 a five-week gap that some teams, including a struggling Aston Martin, may welcome as an opportunity to develop their cars.
Also Read: Iran Threatens US-Linked Oil Assets, Says Hormuz Open Only to Non-Enemies
Domenicali said he looked forward to returning to both circuits as soon as circumstances allow. It is the second time Bahrain has had its Grand Prix cancelled the first was in 2011 during civil unrest in the Gulf kingdom.
The Jeddah race similarly came under question in 2022 after Houthi drone strikes on an oil facility near the circuit, though that race ultimately went ahead after teams received security assurances.
