Formula 1 has officially cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix for the 2026 season following the outbreak of the Iran war, reducing the championship calendar to 22 races. Both races were contracted for 2026 but remain postponed indefinitely, with neither event scheduled for replacement on the current schedule.
The decision to remove both Middle Eastern fixtures from the calendar was made after organisers determined that replacement races could not be scheduled at short notice given the early-season timing of the original events.
The cancellations create a significant gap in the championship calendar, leaving a five-week stretch between the Japanese Grand Prix scheduled for 27 t0 29 March and the Miami Grand Prix on 1 to 3 May.
Series officials acknowledged that the 2026 calendar was already tightly packed with limited flexibility to accommodate alternative venues on such short notice.
With no certainty over how the regional security situation will develop, F1 opted for cancellation outright rather than attempting to reschedule the races, providing what the sport deemed the clearest and most stable option for the remainder of the season.
The Bahrain Grand Prix, traditionally held at the Sakhir Circuit, and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit were both established fixtures on the 2026 calendar.
Both races represented significant commitments from the sport’s commercial partners and had hosted prestigious events in recent seasons. However, the geopolitical situation made their continuation in 2026 untenable, leading to the unprecedented decision to proceed with a reduced schedule.
The impact of the cancellations extends beyond the main championship. Formula 1’s junior series, F1 Academy, announced a major calendar expansion following the Saudi cancellation, adjusting its schedule to accommodate the changes to the broader F1 ecosystem.
The junior series decision reflected the wide-reaching consequences of the Middle Eastern races being withdrawn from the calendar.
The five-week gap created by the absence of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races presents both scheduling challenges and opportunities for the remainder of the 2026 season.
The extended break between the Asian leg of the championship and the North American calendar requires teams to carefully manage their resources and factory operations during the extended period away from competition. This extended pause is atypical in modern Formula 1, where calendars are usually engineered to maintain momentum throughout the season.
F1 officials have stated that monitoring the regional situation remains ongoing, and circumstances may change before the 2027 season planning begins. The decision to cancel rather than postpone reflects the sport’s commitment to certainty for teams, broadcasters, and fans who require fixed scheduling for planning purposes.
The 2026 F1 championship will now proceed with 22 rounds, marking the first calendar reduction since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted previous seasons.
The remaining venues on the schedule include established circuits across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and other regions, maintaining geographical diversity across the championship despite the Middle Eastern absences.
Teams are adjusting their operational schedules and resource allocation to accommodate the new calendar structure.
The extended gap mid-season may provide opportunities for more extensive repairs and upgrades to be completed during the factory-based downtime, though teams must balance this against the extended period without competitive racing.
