The Formula 1 series will postpone Grand Prix events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia following escalating conflict in the Middle East, the sport’s governing body announced Sunday.
The cancellations affect race weekends scheduled for April 10-12 near Manama and April 17-19 in Jeddah, events that typically draw hundreds of thousands of fans annually. Discussions regarding the potential postponement began two weeks ago as tensions rose in the Gulf region.
“It has been confirmed today that, following careful assessments, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not seize place in April,” the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) stated in a release from Shanghai, where the Chinese Grand Prix is being held.
According to the FIA, the two events, significant for both their sporting and economic impact in the Gulf nations, will not be replaced by other races, including those in Europe.
“Priority to Safety”
“The FIA will always prioritize safety and the well-being of our teams,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the statement.
Ben Sulayem expressed “hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region,” where neighboring Iran has targeted monarchies and emirates with drones and missiles in response to military actions by the United States and Israel.
Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia, a U.S. Ally, are “incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season,” the FIA President added, without offering a financial assessment of the cancellations.
British media outlets, including the BBC and The Independent, have estimated the total cost of the cancellations to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, will still host the final two Grands Prix of the season in late November and early December.
Rumors of potential cancellations circulated throughout the paddock during the season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, last weekend and again in Shanghai.
A source close to the matter told Agence France-Presse on Friday that the races in Sakhir and Jeddah would be “canceled or reprogrammed.”
Mercedes Dominance
The announcement came two hours before the Chinese Grand Prix, the second race of a season currently dominated by the Mercedes team.
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 19, will start Sunday’s race from the pole position, becoming the youngest “poleman” in Formula 1 history.
Prior to the cancellations in the Gulf, Antonelli acknowledged that the situation was “not good.”
His teammate, George Russell, 28, is also a strong contender for the World Championship and will start in second position. Russell won Saturday’s 100-kilometer sprint race in China and leads the early standings under the new regulations for engines and chassis.
The Mercedes duo is closely followed by Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, and Charles Leclerc. McLaren-Mercedes drivers Lando Norris, the defending champion, and Oscar Piastri are also in contention.
Red Bull, a dominant force in recent seasons, is currently struggling, despite the presence of four-time world champion Max Verstappen and young French driver Isack Hadjar.
The 2026 season is currently scheduled to include 22 Grand Prix races. Following Shanghai, the Formula 1 logistics operation will move to Suzuka, Japan, in late March, and then to Miami in early May.
