F1 cancels Bahrain & Saudi
Formula 1 just pulled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix for 2026 — the calendar is down to 22 rounds and F1 says it couldn’t reschedule the Middle East races amid logistical overload. Reports now say Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Azerbaijan are also at risk, and the FIA has named Paul Burns as deputy race director as the sport scrambles to regroup. (f1miamigp.com) (givemesport.com) (motorsport.com)
The two April rounds had been scheduled for April 12 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir and April 19 at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah. (en.wikipedia.org) Those dates created a five‑week gap on the 2026 itinerary between the Japanese Grand Prix (March 27–29) and the Miami Grand Prix (May 1–3), a slot F1 says teams will not fill with substitute events after evaluating alternatives. (formula1.com 1) (formula1.com 2) F1’s late‑season itinerary still lists Baku (Azerbaijan) on Sept 24–26, the Qatar Grand Prix on Nov 27–29 and Abu Dhabi on Dec 4–6, and multiple outlets have reported those three rounds are now being monitored as possible further changes. (formula1.com) (givemesport.com) Industry estimates put promoter fees from the five Middle East rounds (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Abu Dhabi) at more than $250 million annually, with published breakdowns suggesting roughly $45m for Bahrain and about $55m each for Saudi Arabia and Qatar. (gpfans.com) F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has said the sport maintains contingency plans for the season‑ending Qatar and Abu Dhabi events and is “monitoring the situation” closely as safety guarantees evolve. (espn.in) The FIA has moved to shore up race control after departures, elevating Paul Burns into the deputy race director role; Burns previously served in senior operational roles in Formula 2 through 2025 and has experience in timing operations and at the Macau Grand Prix. (motorsport.com) (formularapida.net)
