Gulf shake up: FIA confirms Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prixs pulled from April as F1s early season calendar is redrawn
Following military strikes by the US and Israel against Iran, subsequent retaliatory drone as well as missile attacks affecting Bahrain in addition to Saudi Arabia, the Federation Internationale L’Automobile (FIA) along with Formula One (F1) determined that the security risks to personnel, fans plus logistics were too great to proceed. While the FIA avoided using the word “permanent,” they confirmed no replacement races will be held in April. At the same time there were rumours of a “quadruple header” later in the year to salvage the dates, the 2026 calendar has officially shrunk from 24 to 22 races, potentially altering the outcome of the world championship standings.
This crisis has disrupted the entire motorsport landscape in the spring of 2026. The World Endurance Championship (WEC) had already postponed its Qatar opener and MotoGP was forced to move its Qatar round in November. Critics have noted that in 2022, F1 continued to race in Jeddah despite nearby missile strike on oil depot. The 2026 decision signal s a much lower “risk appetite” from the FIA and Liberty Media in the face of a full scale regional war.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1, acknowledged the difficulty to move while leaving the door open for a future return to the region.
“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 … Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances.”
Domenicali’s mention of the “ecosystem” and “thanking the promoters” is a calculated move to maintain good relations with two of F1s biggest financial backers. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia contribute roughly $130 million (£97.5 million) in hosting fees: F1 needs these partners to remain “total in their understanding” to ensure they return to the calendar in 2027.
The 35 day gap between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix has effectively become a “second winter testing” period. Ferrari has already scheduled a 200km “filming day” at Monza to test a major upgrade package, including the experimental “Macarena wing” which was originally slated for the Canadian Grand Prix in May. For Aston Martin, the break is a lifeline. The team has been plagued by severe power unit (PU) vibrations from the new Honda engine that have physically shaken components loose. This month off allows Honda engineers to attempt a fundamental fix that would have been impossible during back to back flyaway races. With Kimi Antonelli and George Russell securing back to back one-twos in China the five week break allows Mercedes to solidify their early lead, while rivals like Red Bull as well as McLaren must use this time to avoid a “Mercedes whitewash” in 2026.
The cancellation prevents Mercedes from building a “mathematically insurmountable” lead in April. Instead of 75 points being available in that window, 0 are, keeping the championship hunt tighter. For drivers like Ollie Bearman, this break is lifeline. Several of his 2025 penalty points will expire in May and July before the season gets back into full swing, reducing his risk of a suspension.
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