Mar.14 (GMM) Formula 1 is on the verge of officially cancelling its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, with the sport’s self-imposed ten-day decision deadline now expired and confirmation expected this weekend in Shanghai.
Iranian missile strikes have rendered both venues untenable. Attacks on Bahrain hit a US military base, a residential building and the Crowne Plaza Manama – a hotel used by F1 teams – as well as an oil field and a desalination plant.
Saudi Arabia has also sustained strikes, and the logistical window for shipping freight from Japan to the Gulf is closing fast.
No replacement races are expected. Formula 1’s television contracts require a minimum of 22 races, and the original 24-round calendar provides sufficient buffer. The costs and preparation time required for a rescue operation are widely considered to outweigh any benefit.
The stalemate over who formally pulls the trigger – carrying significant financial implications for both sides – appears to be nearing resolution, with multiple authoritative media sources reporting the announcement is now imminent.
There is some hope, however, that the conflict’s impact on the calendar will not extend further. The FIA World Endurance Championship has rescheduled its postponed Qatar round to October, and Formula 1’s own Gulf events later in the 2026 calendar – in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – remain untouched.
Audi team boss Jonathan Wheatley said in Shanghai: “Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation.
“It’s just a bump in the road – if something were to happen in that respect, you would just deal with it. I don’t see any real issues, to be honest.”