F1 cancels Middle East GPs

Formula 1 and the FIA made the call on March 14 while in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, organisers said. usnews.com The governing body confirmed the FIA Formula 2, FIA Formula 3 and F1 Academy rounds scheduled for those weekends “will also not take place,” and the official statement added that “no substitutions will be made in April.” formula1.com The official 2026 calendar had listed Bahrain as Round 4 on April 10–12 and Jeddah as Round 5 on April 17–19, with those weekend slots now vacated on Formula 1’s schedule. formula1.com The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office updated its Bahrain travel advice in March and “advises against all but essential travel” to Bahrain, according to GOV.UK. gov.uk The U.S. Embassy in Manama ordered non‑emergency U.S. government personnel and family members to depart on March 2, the embassy’s advisory shows. bh.usembassy.gov The FIA said the decision was taken “in full consultation with Formula One Group, local promoters and our Member Clubs,” underscoring the promoter and governing‑body involvement. fia.com PlanetF1 reported that freight for the Bahrain event had been scheduled to leave after the Chinese GP — a logistics timeline that created a practical “hard deadline” for the call. planetf1.com Published estimates put Saudi Arabia’s annual hosting fee for the Jeddah GP at about $55 million per year, RacingNews365 reported, while Bahrain’s hosting fee is commonly estimated at roughly £24 million (about $45m) by The Independent. racingnews365.com Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al‑Faisal described the Jeddah weekend as postponed and said Saudi authorities were ready to host, according to the Saudi Gazette, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem reiterated that “the FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first.” saudigazette.com.sa