F1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancelled due to Iran war
Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia
Formula One has decided that its planned races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not take place in April because of the ongoing war involving Iran, according to Al-Monitor and agencies on March 14th.
The decision was confirmed by the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), following a review of the security situation in the region.
In a statement, the FIA explained that the cancellation followed “careful evaluations” of the current circumstances in the Middle East.
Officials concluded that holding the events would not be appropriate given the instability affecting several countries in the area. The organisation said the decision was reached after consultations with Formula One management, local race promoters and regional motorsport authorities.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was originally scheduled for April 10th to April 12th, while the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was set for the following weekend.
These two races were meant to represent the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2026 Formula One season. However, due to security concerns linked to the conflict, organisers ultimately opted to remove them from the calendar.
Officials also considered potential alternatives before finalising the decision. According to the FIA, several replacement options were discussed, but none were implemented.
Instead, Formula One chose to leave April without additional races rather than add new venues to the schedule quickly.
The cancellation will have consequences beyond the main championship; support series that normally accompany Formula One events will also be affected.
Rounds of Formula 2, Formula 3 and the all-female F1 Academy championship that were planned for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will no longer take place in April.
With the Middle Eastern races removed, the early-season schedule will change significantly. The Japanese Grand Prix is still expected to take place at the end of March, but the next race after that will now be the Miami Grand Prix in early May. This creates a longer break in the racing calendar than originally planned.
Other motorsport events in the region have also been impacted by the conflict. A round of the World Endurance Championship scheduled for neighbouring Qatar at the end of March has already been postponed to October.
The disruption reflects the broader uncertainty affecting major international sporting events across the Middle East during the ongoing crisis.
Al-Monitor and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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