Formula 1 is expected to confirm the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
However, they have not ruled out the possibility of simply postponing the races until a later date, though that will prove logistically challenging.
This cancellation will leave a five-week hole in the F1 calendar, following the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of the month.
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McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Cadillac’s Sergio Perez, and Williams’ Alex Albon practice launch procedures. Mark Sutton/ Formula 1 via Getty Images
Bahrain was next up on April 12, with Saudi Arabia a week later on April 19.
Given the ongoing war between Iran, Israel and the United States, the area has been deemed unsafe.
It already led to logistical issues for teams flying from Europe to Australia for the Melbourne race, and transporting teams into the region is a bridge too far.
While it was hoped the races would be replaced, the FIA has opted to simply cancel the races, for now. Imola, Portimao, or Istanbul Park were seen as potential last-minute additions to the calendar.
This will put the season on hold until the Miami race in early May and likely reduced from 24 to 22 races.
“First of all, our approach first of all is safety for all of the relevant stakeholders, people and the promoter itself,” F1 president Stefano Domenicali told Sky Sports F1 before the Australian Grand Prix.
F1 has three more races scheduled in the Middle East this year, including Azerbaijan in September, Qatar in November and Abu Dhabi in December.
For now, the show goes on in China with the sprint race sent to take place on Saturday, before the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Mercedes’ George Russell claimed pole position on Friday, with teammate Kimi Antonelli right behind him. Aussie Oscar Piastri will start the sprint in fifth.