F1: Bahrain & Jeddah Cancelled

The Bahrain round had been scheduled for April 12 and the Jeddah round for April 19; Formula 1 and the FIA published a joint statement on March 14, 2026 saying both events “will not take place in April.” (formula1.com) The removal of those two April slots reduces the published 2026 calendar from 24 races to 22 and creates a five‑week gap in the spring schedule between the Japanese event and the Miami race. (skysports.com) Formula 2, Formula 3 and the F1 Academy rounds that had been due to run alongside the Bahrain–Jeddah double‑header have also been removed from the April schedule, and organisers said no direct substitutions will be made for the April dates. (formula1.com) Teams and promoters point to immediate logistical constraints — equipment and personnel were still staged in Bahrain after pre‑season tests, and moving kit across the Gulf to Jeddah would have required a 1,500‑kilometre transfer amid restricted airspace and insurance complications. (foxsports.com.au) The commercial hit is concentrated in large annual hosting fees: Saudi Arabia has been reported to pay about $55 million per year to host the Jeddah round, while Bahrain’s fee is commonly estimated at roughly £45m–$60m a year. (racingnews365.com) (sports.yahoo.com) Sporting consequences include pushed‑back upgrade programmes and altered sprint‑event planning, with analysts warning teams that development timelines and aerodynamic upgrade windows will need reworking now that two early rounds are off the table. (motorsport.com) F1 pointed to safety and wellbeing as the rationale in statements from CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and organisers noted past precedent when Bahrain’s 2011 race was also removed from the calendar amid unrest. (formula1.com) (si.com)