F1 cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to Middle East conflict

Formula One has announced the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds due to safety risks amid rising escalation of the Middle East conflict. It has also been confirmed that replacement Grands Prix will not be organised in April, shortening the 2026 calendar to 22 rounds for the forseeable future.

Credit: Formula One

After F1’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were already under threat in view of the Middle East conflict that began on 28th February, it has now been officially confirmed that the two rounds will be dropped due to increasing safety concerns and security risks.

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1, stated: “While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank the FIA as well as our incredible promoters for their support and total understanding as they were looking forward to hosting us with their usual energy and passion. We cannot wait to be back with them as soon as the circumstances allow us to do so.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, added: “The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events.

“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow. My sincere thanks to the promoters, our partners, and our colleagues across the championship for the collaborative and constructive approach that has led to this decision.”

The 2026 F1 calendar will now be reduced to 22 rounds, as organising replacement Grands Prix has been deemed unviable at such short notice. 

With plenty of logistics to consider, travel rearrangements, personnel and cargo re-routing as well as commercial promoter complexities, having replacement rounds will not be feasible — though options like back-to-back races in Japan or European substitutes were initially considered.

After the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, Iran responded with retaliatory strikes in the Gulf regions of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. The consequences of these tensions were felt by the F1 paddock ahead of the season opener in Australia, with a number of personnel and team equipment delayed due to cancelled flights and travel setbacks.

Subsequently, the standard curfews on the Wednesdays and Thursdays of a race week were lifted by the FIA in Australia to allow teams to catch up after the unforeseen disruptions caused by the travel shutdown in the Middle East.

The previous week, Pirelli also cancelled its wet tyre test initially scheduled from 28th February to 1st March after conflict in the region swiftly intensified, while the World Endurance Championship’s opening round set for 26th to 28th March in Qatar was also called off and postponed by the FIA due to safety risks.

While the impact of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds being cancelled doesn’t significantly affect the championship this early into the season beyond a shortened calendar, it does mean that F1 now sees an earlier than anticipated month-long break.

As for the Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy rounds in Bahrain and Jeddah, initially set to take place alongside the F1 weekends, replacements are reportedly being considered given their already short calendars and relative ease of arranging them compared to the logistical scale of F1.

Following the Japanese Grand Prix on 29th March, F1 will return on 1st May for the first American round in Miami.