F1 have cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix scheduled for 10-12 and 17-19 April 2026, due to the Middle-East War.
Recent weeks saw tension erupt across the Middle-East after USA and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran, which has since seen numerous attacks via missiles and drones spread across the region with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia both caught in the crossfire.
Pirelli even had to cancel a planned two-day wet-weather test across Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March with Mercedes and McLaren teams in Bahrain for security reasons, whilst some team freight remain grounded in the same country since pre-season testing.
FIA had originally planned to delay a decision until 20 March at latest but a need for clarity forced the cancellation of both race weekends with no replacement races possible due to logistical reasons and short notice, which cut the season down to 22 races.
The cancellations also means that F2 loses its first Middle-East double-header of their season, whilst F3 was only heading to Bahrain in April, but both rounds have been dropped with no plans at present to add standalone rounds later in the season.
F1 Academy was set to join F2 on the support series list for the Saudi Arabian GP weekend but will also not go ahead as planned.
F1 President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali revealed that the decision was not easy to make but felt that it was the wise option to protect teams and fans.
“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.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the FIA as well as our incredible promoters for their support and total understanding as they were looking forward to hosting us with their usual energy and passion. We cannot wait to be back with them as soon as the circumstances allow us to do so.”
FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first. 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.
“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow. My sincere thanks to the promoters, our partners, and our colleagues across the championship for the collaborative and constructive approach that has led to this decision.”
The season consequently will only contain 22 races with a five-week break between the Japanese GP on 29 March and Miami GP on 3 May.
Below is an updated version of the 2026 F1 season calendar.
| Round | Grand Prix | Date |
| 1 | Australian GP | 6-8 March |
| 2* | Chinese GP | 13-15 March |
| 3 | Japanese GP | 27-29 March |
| 4* | Miami GP | 1-3 May |
| 5* | Canadian GP | 22-24 May |
| 6 | Monaco GP | 5-7 June |
| 7 | Barcelona-Catalunya GP | 12-14 June |
| 8 | Austrian GP | 26-28 June |
| 9* | British GP | 3-5 July |
| 10 | Belgian GP | 17-19 July |
| 11 | Hungarian GP | 24-26 July |
| 12* | Netherlands | 21-23 August |
| 13 | Italian GP | 4-6 September |
| 14 | Spanish GP | 11-13 September |
| 15 | Azerbaijan GP | 24-26 September |
| 16* | Singapore GP | 9-11 October |
| 17 | US GP | 23-25 October |
| 18 | Mexico City GP | 30 October – 1 November |
| 19 | Sao Paulo GP | 6-8 November |
| 20 | Las Vegas GP | 19-21 November |
| 21 | Qatar GP | 27-29 November |
| 22 | Abu Dhabi GP | 4-6 December |
*Asterisked rounds will host sprint race weekend format.
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