F1 to cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races over conflict in Middle East

Formula One will cancel next month’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races in the next 48 hours, with the season set to be dropped to 22 races.

There was no official confirmation from the sport, but Telegraph Sport understands a decision has already been made with the conflict in the Middle East not going away any time soon.

Freight would need to start being shipped to the Middle East in the next week or so, which has focused minds. But the final decision has looked obvious for the past week or so.

Formula One had looked at replacing the Bahrain (April 12) and Saudi (April 19) races with venues such as Istanbul, Portimao or Imola. But at such short notice those replacement venues would be unlikely to pay a hosting fee, so it became a question of whether it was worth shipping all the freight and organising all the logistics.

Unlike during Covid, when Formula One was last forced to juggle the calendar at short notice, this time there is no requirement for a certain number of races to fulfil contractual broadcast and championship requirements. The colder weather in Europe at this time of year was another factor.

With the new 2026 rules having presented teams with major headaches in terms of technical challenges – and after such a short turnaround from last season – having a month off is not seen as the worst thing from the teams’ perspective.

After the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29, there will now not be a grand prix until Miami on May 3.

Last week Mohammed ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, the sport’s governing body, said any decision would prioritise “safety and wellbeing”.

“We are in close contact with our member clubs, championship promoters, teams and colleagues on the ground as we monitor developments carefully and responsibly,” Ben Sulayem posted on Instagram.

“Safety and wellbeing will guide our decisions as we assess the forthcoming events scheduled there for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the FIA Formula One World Championship. Our organisation is built on unity and shared purpose. That unity matters now more than ever.”

Ben Sulayem, who is from Dubai, added he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and I stand with the families and communities impacted”, and said he hoped for “calm, safety and a swift return to stability”.

Formula One declined to comment.

Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.