Formula 1 has cancelled its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to ongoing instability in the Middle East.
The season’s fourth round had been scheduled to take place in Bahrain from 10–12 April, followed by Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Grand Prix from 17–19 April. Both nations are among Gulf states impacted by attacks from Iran in retaliation to US–Israeli air strikes.
As a result, the two Middle Eastern rounds will not be replaced, creating a five-week gap in the race calendar between the end-of-March Japan Grand Prix and Miami’s event in early May. The associated F2, F3 and F1 Academy races planned for the Bahrain–Saudi Arabia double-header have also been called off. The cancellations reduce the 2026 F1 season to 22 races.
However, the remaining Gulf round, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit, is still scheduled to run from 4–6 December and will close the 2026 Formula 1 season as planned.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, said that while it was a “difficult decision” to take, it was “unfortunately the right one at this stage” considering the current situation in the Middle East.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing 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.“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.”
The FIA World Endurance Championship had already revised its regional schedule, moving its Qatar season opener from 28 March to 24 October 2026. Meanwhile, MotoGP, which was originally set to race in Doha on the same weekend as F1’s Bahrain Grand Prix, is also in the process of rescheduling.
Formula 1 has become a major driver of tourism across the Gulf. The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix typically attracts between 150,000 and 200,000 spectators each weekend, generating record-breaking hospitality performance. According to CoStar data, Jeddah hotels reached 82.5% occupancy during the 2025 race weekend, up 21.1% year on year, with average daily rates rising nearly 10% to SAR833.79.
Similarly, Bahrain’s Formula 1 event continues to set new attendance benchmarks. A record 37,700 fans attended on race day in 2025, contributing to a total attendance of 105,000 over the three-day weekend at Bahrain International Circuit.
