Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs officially canceled due to Middle East conflict

The 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix have been canceled due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

An announcement of the move was made early on Sunday morning in Shanghai, where Formula 1’s 2026 Chinese Grand Prix is taking place this weekend. It leaves a 35-day gap between the Japanese GP on March 29 and the Miami GP on May 3, with the April races being scrapped. Bahrain was scheduled for April 12, while the Saudi Arabian GP was set for April 19.

The decision also cancels the planned Formula 2 races in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the F1 Academy round at the latter, plus the Formula 3 round in Bahrain.

In a joint statement, the F1 organization and motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, said: “After careful evaluations, due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April. While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April.

“The F2, F3 and F1 Academy rounds will also not take place during their scheduled times. The decision has been taken in full consultation with Formula One Group, local promoters and our Member Clubs in the region.”

Other motorsport series have been affected by the ongoing conflict. The World Endurance Championship decided earlier this month to postpone its season-opener in Qatar until October.

“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,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “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.”

Speculation had been brewing for weeks about whether F1’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races would take place, since the conflict began on February 28, with the United States and Israel carrying out military strikes on Iran, triggering a widening conflict in the region.

Several Middle Eastern countries closed their airspace shortly after, heavily restricting travel. The attacks killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, plus more than 1,000 civilians, according to local authorities.

F1 said after the first day of the conflict that it was closely monitoring the situation. But the window to make the call had slowly been closing, as more freight would have needed to be sent to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in the coming days for it to arrive in time for the previously planned races. Some freight still remains at the Bahrain International Circuit after preseason testing was held at the track a week before the conflict began, though teams remain unable to retrieve it.

“We follow the guidance of the FIA and Formula 1, as we always do,” Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley had said during Friday’s news conference in China, when asked how long the paddock could wait for a decision given the logistical and upgrade development impacts. “They’ve always led us in the right direction. Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation. One of the biggest sides of the business is the logistics side to it, not just parts but also people moving it around the world. Teams are so good at that.

“It’s just a bump in the road if something were to happen in that respect, you would just deal with it. I don’t see any real issues, to be honest.”

Dropping two races from the calendar will lead to a financial hit across the sport as they are not being replaced. Additionally, the backend of the calendar is crowded, which made it too difficult to squeeze Bahrain and Saudi Arabia back into the slate at a later date.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown was asked about the possible financial implications of two cancellations for the teams at the 2026 season opener in Australia. The American said that it “probably” could make a dent in the budget, though added that it was the least of their concerns.

“Given what’s going on, that’s the least (concern),” said Brown. “We’re not bothered. If it does have a little bit of a financial impact, so be it with what’s going on.”

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, who starts Sunday’s race on pole, said, “my thoughts are with the ones that are suffering from this situation. Of course, it’s not good to see what’s happening and hopefully it will be good again soon. But for sure F1 and the FIA will handle the situation the best way possible in order to guarantee safety to everyone.”