F1 cancels Middle East rounds

Formula 1 scrubbed its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on March 14, leaving the 2026 season with a 35-day gap before Miami. (formula1.com, espn.com) The cancelled rounds had been scheduled for April 12 in Sakhir and April 19 in Jeddah, and Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy also lost those weekends. Formula 1 and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile said they made the call after “careful evaluations” of the security situation in the region. (fia.com, formula1.com) The next race is now the Miami Grand Prix on May 3, after Japan on March 29. ESPN reported the sport could not slot in replacement events because freight deadlines, venue readiness and ticketing windows made a last-minute reshuffle impractical. (espn.com, formula1.com) The pause lands three races into the first season under Formula 1’s new 2026 rules, which changed both the cars and the power units. Because April is not an FIA shutdown period, teams can keep wind tunnels, simulators and factory development running through the break. (formula1.com) That has turned an empty stretch of the calendar into extra development time while the sport argues over the new regulations. The FIA said after preseason testing that 2026 brought “one of the biggest changes in recent memory,” and it was still evaluating energy-management issues after the opening rounds. (fia.com, espn.com) The main complaint is the way the new engines use electrical power. ESPN reported the cars can deploy about three times as much electrical energy as the previous generation, but struggle to recover enough of it under braking, forcing drivers to spend laps harvesting battery charge instead of pushing flat out. (espn.com) The FIA, teams and engine manufacturers began formal talks on April 9 and scheduled more meetings for April 15 and April 16 before the championship resumes in Miami. The governing body said the first session produced “constructive dialogue on difficult topics,” with the focus on energy management rather than a full rewrite of the formula. (motorsport.com, espn.com, planetf1.com) The cancellations also hit the business side of the series. Multiple outlets, citing analyst estimates and hosting-fee disclosures, put the lost revenue from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at more than $100 million, with some estimates running closer to $200 million because the two Gulf races are among the richest contracts on the calendar. (forbes.com, sportspro.com, gpfans.com) Formula 1 and the FIA both said they want to return to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia “as soon as circumstances allow.” Until then, the season’s longest break has become a test of whether the sport can steady its calendar and smooth its new rules before Miami. (formula1.com, fia.com)