Formula 1 Faces £100M Hit as Bahrain and Saudi Gps Likely Cancelled

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Formula 1 is expected to cancel the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix scheduled for next month due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

While an official announcement is yet to be made, reports indicate that the decision could be confirmed before the end of the weekend as safety concerns continue to grow.

Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabian GP likely cancelled

The Bahrain Grand Prix was scheduled for April 12, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah set to follow the next weekend. However, the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran has made it increasingly difficult to ensure the safety of teams, personnel and spectators.

With freight shipments for the races needing to begin within days, Formula 1 officials are believed to have concluded that hosting the events would pose too great a risk.

The situation in the region has worsened recently, with missile strikes reported in Bahrain's capital Manama, while Jeddah has also been considered a potentially dangerous location for a major international sporting event.

Will there be a replacement for Cancelled F1 races?

Formula 1 had briefly explored the possibility of replacing the cancelled events with races at alternative circuits such as Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy or Istanbul Park in Turkey.

However, organisers reportedly decided that the short timeframe made it impractical to stage replacement races, especially without guaranteed hosting fees.

As a result, the 2026 Formula 1 season is now expected to run with 22 races instead of the originally planned 24.

Financial impact on Formula 1

The cancellations are likely to have a significant financial impact on the sport.

Both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pay among the highest hosting fees on the F1 calendar, and losing the two events could cost the championship more than £100 million in revenue.

The financial hit will be shared between the teams and Formula 1's commercial rights holder.

Five-week break in the calendar

If confirmed, the cancellations would create a lengthy gap in the race calendar.

The Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 would be followed by a five-week break before the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

Despite the disruption, the remainder of the season is expected to continue as scheduled after the extended break.