Formula 1 to cancel 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix amid Middle East conflict

The news is not yet formally confirmed, but GrandPrix247 has got to know, based on information received from our reporter in the Australian Grand Prix paddock, Agnes Carlier, that these two races will not happen.

That is, of course, due to the escalation in the situation in the Middle East following the eruption of the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.

The war has quickly spread throughout the Gulf as countries like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain have all been subject to raids by Iranian missiles.

The FIA has announced on Tuesday that the opening round of the 2026 World Endurance Championship, which was originally scheduled to take place in Bahrain on March 26-28, has been postponed.

The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix was originally going to be held on April 10-12, followed by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah on April 17-19.

And while there is still some time, there is no assurance that the conflict in the Middle East will subside any time soon, and as such, it seems that F1 has moved to cancel these two races while looking for replacements, which will reportedly be at Imola, which has been removed from the 2026 F1 calendar recently. The other replacement will be in Portimao, Portugal.

The conflict in the Middle East has cast doubts on various sporting activities in the world and not only F1.

The 2026 F1 season starts this weekend in Melbourne, with the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix to follow, as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were originally going to be the fourth and fifth events on the sport's calendar.

Further information will be shared once available.