Bahrain & Saudi Arabia Grands Prix Cancelled Amid Middle East Conflict

F1 forced to scrap two major races due to ongoing war in the region

Mar. 14, 2026 at 7:03am

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The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix scheduled for next month have been cancelled as a result of the ongoing war in the Middle East. A formal decision has not yet been made, but is expected before the end of the weekend. Freight would need to start being shipped to the Middle East in the coming days, but with no sign of the conflict between the US/Israel and Iran coming to a conclusion, holding the races would put personnel at too great a risk. Neither event will be replaced, so the F1 season will be cut to 22 grands prix, resulting in a commercial hit of more than £100m for the sport.

Why it matters

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are two of the highest paying races on the F1 calendar, so the cancellation will have a significant financial impact on the sport as a whole. The decision also highlights the challenges F1 faces in navigating geopolitical conflicts when scheduling races around the world.

The details

F1 considered holding replacement races at Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy or Istanbul Park in Turkey, but the time to organize an event at any of those locations was too short, and there was little chance of securing a hosting fee. The decision means there will be a five-week break between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

  • The Bahrain Grand Prix was scheduled for April 12.
  • The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix was scheduled for the following weekend.

The players

Formula 1

The highest class of international racing for open-wheel formula racing cars.

Bahrain

A country in the Middle East that hosts an annual Formula 1 Grand Prix race.

Saudi Arabia

A country in the Middle East that hosts an annual Formula 1 Grand Prix race.

United States

A country involved in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Israel

A country involved in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Iran

A country involved in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

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What they’re saying

“There is no formal announcement yet but cancellation is inevitable with no let-up in the war.”

— Andrew Benson, F1 Correspondent

What’s next

The formal decision to cancel the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix is expected before the end of the weekend.

The takeaway

The cancellation of these two major F1 races highlights the significant financial impact that geopolitical conflicts can have on the sport, as well as the challenges of navigating such issues when scheduling a global racing calendar.