Formula One cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix amid Middle East conflict

Thursday, March 19, 2026
 

Formula One has cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian
Grands Prix from the 2026 season calendar following
escalating military conflict in the Middle East, reducing
the championship to 22 races and creating a 35-day gap
between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the
Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

The cancellation was confirmed ahead of the Chinese Grand
Prix weekend. Both races had been scheduled for April —
Bahrain on April 12 and Saudi Arabia on April 19. Formula
One management cited security concerns following military
strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel in late
February, which triggered retaliatory attacks across the
Gulf region including a missile strike on a US naval
facility in Bahrain approximately 20 kilometres from the
Bahrain International Circuit.

Formula One president and chief executive Stefano
Domenicali said the decision, while difficult, was
“unfortunately the right one at this stage considering
the current situation in the Middle East.”

Financial analysts at Guggenheim Partners estimated the
cancellations would cost Formula One approximately
US$190 to US$200 million in revenue and US$80 million
in EBITDA. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia together contribute
an estimated US$115 million in annual hosting fees to
Formula One, representing a significant portion of the
sport’s calendar-wide hosting income.

Formula One explored replacement venues including Imola
in Italy, Portimao in Portugal, and Istanbul Park in
Turkey, but concluded that the financial and logistical
challenges of organizing a race at short notice made
replacement impractical. With television commitments
already satisfied by the remaining 22 rounds, there was
no contractual incentive to add replacement events.

An additional logistical complication arose from
equipment left at the Bahrain International Circuit
following pre-season testing, with all ten teams having
sea freight containers and fully assembled garage setups
remaining at the venue. Pirelli, McLaren and Mercedes
left further equipment behind after a wet tyre test
scheduled for late February was cancelled when
hostilities began. Recovery of the stranded assets has
been complicated by travel advisories, insurance
restrictions, and ongoing airspace closures across the
Gulf region.

Bahrain holds a hosting contract with Formula One
through 2036, while Saudi Arabia’s contract runs through
2030. Three further Middle East rounds remain on the
2026 calendar — Azerbaijan on September 26, Qatar on
November 29, and Abu Dhabi on December 6.

• Formula One counts cost of cancelled Grand Prix weekends in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia — The National, March 17, 2026
• F1 loses big over 2026 race cancellations — GPFans, March 16, 2026
• Five consequences of F1’s double race cancellation — The Race, March 15, 2026
• F1 cancels Bahrain and Saudi races in 2026 as Middle East tensions rise — PlanetF1, March 15, 2026
• Ismael Sandoval. F1’s Stranded Equipment Problem: The Hidden Cost of Cancelling Bahrain and Saudi Arabia — PaddockIntel, March 18, 2026