Formula 1

Official: Iran conflict forces F1 to cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix

Formula One confirms the April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are off for safety reasons as regional tensions from the Iran conflict rise.

ALI HAIDER

Jesús Balseiro Roddy Cons

Update: Mar 14th, 2026 18:14 EDT

It is now official. The war in Iran and its ripple effects across the Persian Gulf will prevent the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix from taking place in April, and Formula One will not replace them with alternative races.

As first reported a week ago by AS, the 2026 calendar will now feature 22 races instead of the originally planned 24. The change creates a four-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

Formula One and the event organizers confirmed the cancellations Friday morning in Shanghai. Within the paddock, the outcome had been expected for days. According to the latest communications between teams, Formula One Management and the FIA, most teams already assumed they would not be traveling to the Middle East.

Missile strikes and regional instability force decision

U.S. and Israeli bombing raids in Iran that began Feb. 28 have triggered retaliatory attacks across neighboring Gulf nations with strategic ties to the United States.

Bahrain has been among the hardest hit, facing missile and drone strikes. Not all of them have been intercepted by air defense systems.

Formula One had only recently wrapped up preseason testing in Bahrain, which took place from Feb. 11 to Feb. 20 at the Sakhir circuit. Even after the first attacks began, two teams, Mercedes and McLaren, remained at the track completing a Pirelli tire test.

The conflict quickly began disrupting travel across the paddock. Many team members had to alter their routes to reach the Australian Grand Prix, avoiding major regional hubs such as Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Now the escalating security situation has claimed two races from the championship calendar.

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April

Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East the Grands Prix, alongside F2, F3, and F1 Academy rounds, will not take place as scheduled

While alternatives were considered, no substitutions will be made in… pic.twitter.com/wsgXUR2FKn
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 14, 2026

Saudi Arabia race also deemed too risky

Saudi Arabia’s situation was somewhat different. The race is held in Jeddah on the Red Sea, far from the areas most affected by the current fighting.

However, recent attacks have targeted the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh and key oil facilities in the kingdom.

The sport also has recent history in mind. During the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi forces struck facilities belonging to the oil giant Aramco near the Jeddah circuit while Formula One practice sessions were taking place.

That incident has remained a stark reminder within the sport of the region’s security risks.

Why Formula One will not add replacement races

Formula One never seriously considered replacing the canceled events.

Although some media outlets floated the idea of bringing back circuits such as Imola in Italy or Portimão in Portugal, those options were never realistically on the table.

The logistical challenge of organizing a grand prix on short notice outweighs the limited impact of losing two races from the calendar.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Formula One scrambled to add substitute races across Europe because travel restrictions threatened to push the season below the minimum number of events required by television rights agreements. At that time, the championship needed at least 17 races.

This year, even after the cancellations, the schedule still includes 22.

Race promoters also cannot realistically organize a grand prix with only a few weeks’ notice. Selling tickets, preparing the venue and covering the enormous costs involved require far more lead time.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi races remain under review

Two other Middle East races remain on the 2026 calendar for now: the Qatar Grand Prix on Nov. 29 and the Abu Dhabi season finale on Dec. 6.

Whether those events go ahead as planned will depend on how the geopolitical situation in the region develops over the coming months.