Formula 1 Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix Amid Middle East Conflict

The 2026 Formula 1 calendar is set to drop from 24 races to just 22 after the confirmed cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, both countries have been struck during Iran’s response to Israel and the United States following the recent wave of attacks. Because of this, the safety concerns, and the vast logistical challenges it takes to plan a Formula 1 race, a decision was reached to cancel the races to ensure no parties were affected by the cancellation. 

"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 President and CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali.

In recent days, the UK has officially set travel restrictions to Saudi Arabia, stating that the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to said country. Safety is of the utmost concern for drivers, teams, fans and all personnel involved so the decision to cancel both of these races was not taken lightly. 

Bahrain was meant to be round 4 of the season with Saudi Arabia following suit as round 5. With both Grands Prix taking place in April and only being set one week apart from each other, the gap in the calendar will be more significant, leaving five weeks vacant between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix. 

To the surprise of many F1 fans, the FIA will not be replacing either Grand Prix or adjusting the scheduled races to fill the gap. Ahead of the news, there was a lot of speculation whether or not Imola would make a return to the 2026 calendar or if the FIA would debut Portugal’s Portimão circuit to fill the vacancy, but with April fast approaching, there wasn’t enough time to put either replacement into motion.

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Cover image via Red Bull Content Pool