F1 Cancels Bahrain, Saudi Arabia GPs Amid Iran Conflict
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Formula 1 confirmed the cancellation of the Bahrain GP (April 10-12) and the Saudi Arabian GP in Jeddah (April 17-19) due to ongoing Middle East conflict, reducing the 2026 schedule to 22 rounds.
- Iran struck both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in retaliation for US-Israeli air strikes, the F1 announcement made ahead of Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai confirmed.
- Formula 1 considered several alternative venues but ultimately chose not to replace the April dates, creating a five-week gap between the Japanese GP (March 27-29) and the Miami GP (May 1-3).
- F2, F3, and F1 Academy support-series rounds that had been scheduled during the Bahrain-Saudi double header were also scrapped with no replacement dates announced.
- Stefano Domenicali, F1's president and CEO, called it "unfortunately the right one at this stage" and thanked promoters for their "total understanding" of the decision.
- FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the governing body "will always place the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first" and expressed hope for "a swift return to stability in the region."
Why it matters: The cancellations trim the 2026 F1 season to 22 races and leave a five-week April gap that disrupts logistics for teams, broadcasters, and fans, while Bahrain and Saudi Arabia — major Gulf promoters — sit off the calendar until conditions allow a return. The decision also pulls two F2, F3, and F1 Academy rounds with no replacements, squeezing the feeder-series calendars for the year.
