Formula 1 will not race in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia in April as a result of the war in the Middle East.
The calling-off of the two grands prix has seemed inevitable from the moment the Untied States and Israel attacked Iran and sparked the regional conflagration, but Formula 1 committed to making the call as late as possible to give the hostilities a chance to subside.
The early deadline reflects the sport’s complex logistics. The first load of freight for the two races was set to leave in the next few days, following the Chinese Grand Prix, placing a hard limit on the decision time frame.
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With no sign that the war will end anytime soon, the sport has had to make the call to suspend both races.
The decision means Formula 1 will not race in April, with a five-week gap created between the Japanese Grand Prix on 29 March and the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.
“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said.
“We cannot wait to be back with them as soon as the circumstances allow us to do so.”
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WHY WERE BOTH RACES CALLED OFF?
Bahrain has played a significant role in forcing this decision, with the island kingdom directly in the firing line for Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Bahrain is a high-profile target owing to its considerable US military ties.
Less than 200 kilometres across the Persian Gulf from Iran, racing there was always going to be unlikely.
Australian government advice is to not travel to Bahrain. The UK foreign office has also advised against all but essential travel.
The situation in Saudi Arabia, however, is more complicated. Though the country has been struck by Iran, Jeddah, the host city of the race, is on the west coast and has so far remained uninvolved.
With airspace over Saudi Arabia still open and travel largely unrestricted, there had been some speculation that the Jeddah round might be able to go ahead.
The logistics, however, are more complex.
Some of the equipment due to be used in Saudi Arabia was left in Bahrain following pre-season testing. Team and F1 personnel would have had to enter Bahrain, pack up their gear and then transport it 1500 kilometre across the border to Jeddah — perhaps by road given airspace closures.
The entire situation is pushed from improbable to practically impossible by insurance implications. Insurers generally void cover in the event of war — as some travellers may have learned in recent weeks. A race in Bahrain would be uninsurable, and even if the race in Jeddah could be covered, any attack on the American-owned sport could have seen the cover voided.
Formula 1, therefore, has backed out of both grands prix.
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“The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “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.”
The sport’s announcement has steered clear of the word ‘cancellation’, saying only that the races “will not take place in April”. The announcement also does not mention rescheduling the events, however, with the wording most likely reflecting ongoing negotiations over each country’s contract to host Formula 1 this year.
Rearrangement of the calendar is unlikely. The F1 schedule is heavily backlogged, with little space to move after the August mid-season break, when the sport will hold 11 races in 16 weeks.
There’s also no appetite to extend the season, which is currently set to end in Abu Dhabi on 6 December, the last race in a triple-header with Las Vegas and Qatar. Abu Dhabi pays to host the season closer, and there would be no will to extend the season any closer to Christmas.
Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Bahrain circuit CEO, said: “We fully support the decision by Formula 1, and we are grateful to them and to the FIA for their support and enduring partnership. We look forward to welcoming fans from all around the world back to Bahrain when F1 returns.”
The sentiment was shared by organisers in Saudi Arabia.
“The Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation respect the decision taken by Formula 1 regarding the 2026 race calendar,” said Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal. “Fans across the Kingdom were once again looking forward to the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah this April, but we understand the considerations behind this decision and remain in close partnership with Formula 1.”
Though neither Qatar nor Abu Dhabi would take place if they were set to be held imminently, neither is currently under consideration of cancellation, being almost eight months away.
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WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO REPLACEMENT?
Such a significant gap in the calendar is rare. The mid-season break, for example, spans only three weekends. This unscheduled break will span four Sundays.
Formula 1 had considered contingency plans in the event last year’s season-closing Qatar and Abu Dhabi grands prix had to be called off due to conflict in the region, though both went ahead without issue.
Replacing races after the season has started and on short notice, however, is difficult, particularly as the sport hasn’t yet commenced the European season — F1 was due to go from Japan to the Middle East and then to North America.
That means key freight is still flying or floating around the world. Interrupting that process would be logistically difficult and very costly.
Nonetheless, several options were canvassed.
Inquiries were made in Suzuka about the prospect of a Japanese double-header, but organisers believed a second race couldn’t be stood up on such short notice.
There was also some sympathy for mechanics and other staff at play given the long stints away from home required by the early phases of the calendar, particularly off the back of a long pre-season testing campaign.
Alternatives in Europe were also sounded out, with pandemic supersubs Portimão, Imola and Istanbul all considered.
Istanbul was always unlikely given F1 treats it as an overseas race, which would invoke many of the same logistical difficulties of hosting a race outside of Europe.
Though both Portimão and Imola would have been more logistically straightforward, both reportedly felt that the time frames were too tight to put on an F1-standard event.
The essential components of a grand prix can take months to set up, even for a permanent circuit. The process of selecting volunteer marshals, as just one example, is done long in advance of the race.
Maximising ticket sales on such short notice would also have been a factor.
Given the high cost of hosting a race, a last-minute deal was never likely to be attractive to the tracks.
Alternatively, if F1 offered stand-in venues a cut-price deal, the teams might not have earned enough money back just to break even.
Unlike during the pandemic, when Formula 1 was renting circuits to host races to meet a minimum number of events for a valid world championship and to honour broadcast agreements, there are no such pressures this year, with 22 races enough to satisfy both criteria.
Some have suggested the sport could have found a circuit in North America to twin with the Miami Grand Prix, but that was a non-starter on two counts: freight logistics and the lack of F1-grade circuits in the United States — other than the three US circuits already on the calendar, only the infield circuit at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a grade 1 licence, though it hasn’t been used by Formula 1 since 2006.
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WAS A SECOND RACE IN AUSTRALIA EVER IN THE FRAME
No. Despite some at-times hot rumours, there was never a real prospect of Australia stepping in to host another race.
The first and most obvious reason is that it couldn’t host back-to-back rounds, with the Chinese Grand Prix immediately following Melbourne this weekend.
Hosting a second race in April was also never on the cards.
Quite aside from the organisational difficulties that would entail, packing down of the Albert Park track begins immediately after the race finishes. By April there’ll be little of the circuit infrastructure left.
Further, the pit building is set to be demolished from the end of March as part of a contractual obligation to Formula 1 to redevelop the track’s permanent facilities. The garage project must be finished in time for next year’s race, which is likely to take place in early April as the third round of the season.
The race control building will then be demolished after the 2027 event and rebuilt in time for 2028, also per the race’s latest contract with Formula 1.
Even if those hurdles could be overcome, Victorian taxpayers shell out around $100 million per year to host the race. The prospect of another big bill — and of another month or so of disruption to locals in Albert Park — was unconscionable.
And given Melbourne’s distance from every other race-hosting city, the idea that the sport would Down Under was anyway farfetched.
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WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?
Formula 1 will take a financial hit from losing both races. The Middle Eastern rounds are among the sport’s biggest money-spinners, and race hosting fees make up around a third of the sport’s annual revenue.
The BBC has reported losing both races could cost the sport more than £100 million ($189.2 million).
That loss will filter back to the teams, with the prize pool directly tied to the sport’s income.
At least weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said the teams would be prepared to take the hit given the circumstances.
“I think, given what’s going on, we’re not bothered,” he said. “If it does have a little bit of a financial impact, so be it, with what’s going on.”
Formula 1, however, has never been in better financial health.
The sport experienced a 14 per cent increase in revenue last year, raking in US$3.87 billion (A$5.54 billion). Operating income rose 28 per cent, to US$632 million (A$904.2 million).