Following confirmation that Formula 1 has canceled the planned races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for 2026 due to the developing conflict in the Middle East, a number of questions remain. This is the first time since 2023 that F1 has been forced to cancel a Grand Prix. This was then the case at Imola in Italy, where the race could not take place due to heavy flooding, and the decision was made just four days before the event.
However, the situation in the Middle East, amid an escalating conflict, has put far more pressure on Formula 1’s leadership. Following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, Iranian forces have launched retaliatory strikes against a number of US military bases and other targets in the region, including some in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Here’s how F1’s decision to cancel played out, what it means for the sport and what the next steps are.
Chronology of a difficult decision
After the first Iranian attacks on American military bases at the end of February, including the one in Bahrain, only thirty kilometers away from the track, F1 stated in a statement that it would “carefully monitor” the situation. It was emphasized that the season starts with races in Australia, China and Japan, and that the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are “only in a few weeks”, six and seven weeks to be exact. Airspace closures in the Middle East and flight cancellations have created problems for F1 staff arriving in Australia, prompting the organization to provide charter flights.
Over the past two weeks, F1 management, including chief executive Stefano Domenicali, have been working closely with race promoters in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Although there was hope that military operations would quickly subside, when it became apparent that the conflict was stretching into weeks rather than days, the need for cancellation became increasingly clear. The final breaking point was always when the cargo had to be sent to Bahrain, which was planned in the days after the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend. The decision was announced to the teams on Friday evening in Shanghai.
While it seemed unrealistic to hold a race in Bahrain due to its proximity to Iran, there were indications that a race in Saudi Arabia, held in Jeddah on the western side of the country, could be viable. However, even if security guarantees were obtained, the image of the sport that insists on holding the event in the region would probably be met with extremely negative reactions from the public. One team source, speaking to The Athletic on condition of anonymity, also raised concerns about sending F1 equipment to Jeddah while there is a risk of missile attacks.
Financial blow and (im)possible replacements
When F1 faced the cancellation of races in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, the sport introduced a series of replacement events to fill the calendar. However, as The Athletic reported last week, replacement races were never seriously considered this time around. The tight deadline meant that it was unrealistic to provide a reasonable host fee, as ticketing and logistics would be difficult to accomplish in just a few weeks. This would mean that teams would lose money due to new logistical costs, with no share of household income to cover their expenses.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are two of the races that pay the highest fees to Formula 1, with the contract with Saudi Arabia reportedly worth more than US$50 million a year. Zak Brown, chief executive of McLaren Racing, said the potential cancellations were likely to have little financial impact on the teams. One factor that will mitigate the loss of revenue for the ten teams is the fee paid by Cadillac, a new F1 team from 2026, to enter the championship. That payment totaled more than $400 million, giving each existing team at least $40 million.
There is also no real concern that this decision could damage the sport’s relationship with key stakeholders in the Middle East. F1 has long-term contracts for races in Bahrain (until 2036) and Saudi Arabia (until 2030), indicating the strength of those partnerships.
Unexpected respite and future worries
Although the lack of races between Japan and Miami will have an impact on finances, in some ways, the break will be welcome. The start of the 2026 season was one of the most demanding in recent history. Due to the brand new cars, more pre-season testing was required and the early races away from European bases further exhausted the staff. A five-week break will offer them a break. Teams will be able to use this period to develop their cars, which is an opportunity to catch up.
However, the cancellation of two races denies the opportunity for additional kilometers on the track, which is the most useful source of data for each team. Concerns remain for the future, as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are not the only countries on the F1 calendar to have been targeted by Iranian attacks; strikes were also recorded in Azerbaijan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. All three countries are due to host races later this year, but those events are still far enough away that it is difficult to make any concrete predictions given the volatile nature of the conflict.