The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One Grands Prix will not be held in April for security reasons due to the war.
Posted on March 14, 2026
Formula One and its governing body, the FIA, said Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not take place in April due to security concerns related to the Iran war.
Both countries have been hit during Iran’s retaliatory attacks after the United States and Israel launched a wave of attacks against Iran.
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The announcement was made early Sunday morning in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.
“Due to the current situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix will not take place in April,” F1 said. “While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions would be made in April.”
F1 was due to race in Bahrain on April 12 and in the Saudi city of Jeddah on April 19.
“Although it was a difficult decision to make, it is unfortunately the right one at this time considering the current situation in the Middle East,” said Stefano Domenicali, F1 president and chief executive.
“The FIA will always prioritize the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues. After careful consideration, we have made this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The FIA did not explicitly rule out rescheduling the races and, like F1, did not use the words “cancel” or “postpone” when announcing that the series would not be held in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia next month.
“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow,” said Ben Sulayem.
Race promoters in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said they supported the decision.
F1’s busy calendar has no obvious open dates for rescheduled races this year.
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races means there will be a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the next race, the Miami Grand Prix, on May 3. Without any rescheduling, the 22-race calendar would be the shortest since 2023.
The two Middle East races were not due to take place until next month, but F1 was faced with making a decision sooner because it usually brings the first crew and cargo to the tracks weeks in advance. F1 also faced the difficulty of selling tickets at short notice, making it almost impossible to organize a replacement race in other countries.
Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who qualified on pole position for Sunday’s race in Shanghai, said his thoughts were “with those who are suffering from this situation” and that safety must be the priority.
“I’m sure they will do the right thing,” he said of the FIA and F1.
The calendar is a joint matter between the FIA and F1’s commercial rights holder, and the teams have expressed their willingness to follow suit.
“I think we follow the guidelines of the FIA and Formula 1, as we always do. They have always led us in the right direction,” Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley said on Friday. “No one is going to give in on anything that could put the teams in an uncomfortable situation.”
Bahrain had already hosted two F1 pre-season tests this season, before Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. A smaller-scale test of rain tires was suspended immediately after the strikes.
The travel shutdown affecting major Middle East airports also caused disruption for European-based F1 and team personnel heading to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The last time a scheduled F1 race was canceled was in 2023, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy was called off at short notice due to deadly flooding in the area.
In 2022, F1 continued its race weekend in Saudi Arabia even after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot during a practice session, with black smoke visible from the Jeddah circuit.
The same year, F1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix contract after Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
