F1 To Cancel April's Races Amid U.S.-Israeli War With Iran
As military aircraft, missiles and armed drones soar toward targets across the Middle East, Formula 1 has no choice but to cancel its upcoming races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Sky Sports, F1's official broadcaster in the United Kingdom, reported on Friday that the championship will announce its decision before the end of this weekend. The cancellations mean that there will be no F1 race in April. After the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29, the next scheduled round will be the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
Whether or not the F1 circus comes to town should be the least of anyone's concern. The aerial bombardment has displaced millions of civilians within Iran and killed thousands of people. Despite the ongoing conflict, Saudi Arabia was still preparing to host its F1 round in Jeddah, which sits on the Red Sea coast. While F1 delayed making a decision as the situation developed, the Suzuka race served as an immovable logistics deadline. From Japan, championship organizers have to decide whether to ship their freight to Jeddah or elsewhere.
F1 was caught in the conflict at its start
This conflict began with F1 personnel in the region. Pirelli was conducting a tire test at the Bahrain International Circuit as Iran responded to the initial strikes from Israel and the United States. The Gulf island kingdom also hosts a U.S. Navy base that has been the target of multiple counterattacks. The close call immediately conjured memories of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. During a practice session in Jeddah, Houthi rebels from Yemen launched a missile attack on a nearby Aramco oil depot. Max Verstappen noted over the radio that he smelled something burning as his onboard camera captured a smoke plume rising in the distance.
The 2026 Formula 1 season will shrink to 22 rounds. Due to logistical concerns, F1 has no plans to replace the cancelled rounds with races elsewhere later in the year. This weekend is also the 15th anniversary of the cancelled 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix. Bahrain's crown prince postponed the event due to civil unrest that was part of the larger Arab Spring. International pressure led to the race's outright cancellation.