Two Formula One races scheduled for April in the Middle East are expected to be canceled amid escalating tensions in the region.
Sources told Sky Sports News that the planned Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not take place due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran and a series of military strikes in the region. The races were originally set for April 12 in Bahrain and April 19 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. However, recent attacks and retaliatory strikes have created security concerns for teams, staff, and spectators.
The decision reportedly had to be made quickly because of the complex logistics required to ship equipment and cars across continents for the races. Teams would soon need to begin sending freight to the Middle East, making it necessary for organizers to determine whether the events could safely proceed.
Several Middle Eastern cities, including Bahrain's capital Manama, have reportedly been impacted by missile and drone activity tied to the broader conflict. Many Formula One personnel would typically stay in hotels in the area during race week, further raising safety concerns.
As a result, the 2026 Formula One calendar is now expected to shrink from 24 races to 22 if the cancellations are confirmed. Officials within the sport have reportedly ruled out replacing the events later in the season because the back half of the schedule is already tightly packed.
There is also concern about competitive fairness. Series organizers are reluctant to push races to the end of the year, where cancellations or changes could potentially influence the championship outcome.
The schedule would now feature a significant gap between the third round of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29, and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence that Formula One leadership would handle the situation appropriately.
"I know that [F1 CEO] Stefano [Domenicali] will do what is right for all of us and the sport," Hamilton said while speaking ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. "That is the great thing with having a great leader like him."
Neither Formula One nor the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile had issued an official statement at the time of publication, though an announcement is widely expected soon.
