The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 races are unlikely to be rescheduled, but the WEC round in Qatar has been moved to October.
Published on March 13, 2026
Next month’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Formula One Grands Prix will be canceled over the weekend due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Multiple sources told Reuters that an announcement, seen within the sport as only a matter of time, was expected by Monday at the latest, with the March 20 deadline approaching for cargo that must be transported to Bahrain for logistical reasons.
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Sky Sports television, which has broadcast rights in Britain, where most of the 11 teams are based, said it understood racing would be canceled on Sunday night.
US and Israeli attacks on Iran continue while Iranian drones and missiles have hit some Middle Eastern capitals, including Bahrain’s Manama, where most of the team’s personnel are reportedly staying in hotels.
Formula One races in China this weekend for the second round of the season after the opening round in Australia last weekend.
Sources have previously indicated that no Middle East races are likely to be replaced or rescheduled, leaving April an empty month for the series and the championship reduced to 22 rounds.
Bahrain was scheduled for April 12 and the Saudi race in Jeddah on April 19.
The third round of the Japanese Grand Prix will be held on March 29 and the next race will be held in Miami on May 3.
“I think we follow the guidance of the FIA and Formula One, as we always do. They have always led us in the right direction,” Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley told reporters after practice at the Shanghai circuit.
“No one is going to give in on anything that could put the teams in an uncomfortable situation.”
There was no immediate comment from Liberty Media-owned Formula One or the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) has already postponed what would have been its season opener in Qatar from March 26-28, with the first race now scheduled for the Italian Imola circuit on April 19.
The Qatar round at the Lusail circuit outside Doha, which also hosts Formula One in November, has been rescheduled for October 24 as the penultimate round before the final in Bahrain on November 7.
MotoGP will be raced in Qatar on April 12 and that round is also likely to be cancelled.
