Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Formula 1 will not hold the Bahrain or Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April following the decision by the FIA and Formula One Group due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region.
The races, originally scheduled for the April 10-12 weekend and the subsequent one respectively, have been removed from the calendar, creating a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix. No replacement events will be staged in April, and the supporting FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3 and F1 Academy rounds have also been cancelled.
The possibility to extend the season and get substitute venues in all possible gaps were explored by the world body under Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the Emirati president, but no practical solution emerged.
The decision leaves the Qatar Grand Prix and the season-ending Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (ADGP) as the only two Middle East races on the revised 22-race 2026 schedule.
The ADGP at Yas Marina Circuit is confirmed to close the season on December 4-6 as part of the traditional triple-header with Las Vegas and Qatar.
In a statement, Ben Sulayem said: “The FIA will always place the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events.”
He added: “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.”
Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1 Group President and CEO, said: “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.”
Sheikh Salman Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain International Circuit, said they supported the decision and “look forward to welcoming fans from all around the world back to Bahrain when F1 returns".
An estimate to the return was not specified, but it is understood that rearrangement of the calendar to insert replacement races elsewhere is not expected — a scenario that was explored and enacted when the world was trying to emerge out of the pandemic. The 2026 schedule was already tightly packed to the brim with a record 24 events, leaving limited room for additional events.
There is also no plan to extend the season beyond its current conclusion in Abu Dhabi, which holds the special status contractually of hosting the season finale, and extending the calendar closer to Christmas is not under consideration.
Contingency options similar to those used during the pandemic — such as stand-in European venues including Portimao (Portugal) and Imola (Spain), and a venue in United States — were assessed but ruled out due to either a lack of track readiness, short-notice logistical challenges, impracticality in freight movements, staffing requirements or the time needed to prepare an event to F1 standards.
For now, the status of Qatar and Abu Dhabi as the only races from the Middle East this year looks on track to remain on the calendar, with both events more than eight months away. The season will, therefore, continue with 22 Grands Prix, concluding at Yas Marina Circuit as planned.
The F1 teams also have reconciled to the financial losses that will be part of the implications from the curtailments. Race hosting fees propped up by the venues’ organisers make up around a third of the sport’s annual revenue.
The BBC has reported losing both races could cost the sport more than $189.2 million. That loss will filter back to the teams, with the prize pool directly tied to the sport’s income.
In Melbourne during the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the teams are prepared to take the hit given the circumstances.
“I think, given what’s going on, we’re not bothered,” he said. “If it does have a little bit of a financial impact, so be it, with what’s going on.”
