Formula 1 may cancel upcoming races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for 2026

As the current status stands, Formula 1 has not yet announced any cancellation of the Bahrain or Saudi Arabian Grands Prixs, but the situation is under intense scrutiny due to escalating regional tensions. The possible cancellation stem from a series of high-profile security incidents and logistical disruptions that occurred just this weekend and continues to threathen the safety of visitors and citizens in the gulf nations.

A planned two-day Pirelli tyre test at the Bahrain International Circuit was cancelled on February 28, 2026, following a missile strike on the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet command center in Manama. All Pirelli and team personnel (including those from Mercedes and McLaren) are reported safe in their hotels.

Major transit hubs in Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain have seen temporary closures, forcing F1 teams to reroute their travel to the season opener in Australia. While the tyre test was scrapped, the actual Grands Prix are still officially on the calendar. F1 management is currently in a 'wait and see' mode. Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for April 12, 2026 while Saudi Arabian Grand Prixon April 19.

A spokesperson for Formula One Management stated that because the Middle Eastern races are still several weeks away, there is no immediate need to cancel. The focus is currently on the flyaway start of the season with Australia (March 8), China (March 15) and Japan (March 29) before the season heads to middle east.

Most drivers and their teams were still in or around the Gulf region following pre-season testing when the missile strikes occurred on February 28. F1 is working closely with local authorities. If the security situation does not stabilise by early April, we could see a late-notice calendar change similar to the cancellation of the Russian GP in 2022. Major hubs saw airspace closures, forcing approximately 2,000 F1 personnel to scramble for alternative flights and these diversions add 5–10 hours of travel time and extra jet lag just days before the first practice sessions of the season.

The cancellation of the Pirelli Wet Tyre Test (scheduled for Feb 28–March 1) is a massive technical blow. The 2026 cars feature brand-new power units and aerodynamics. Drivers like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell (Mercedes) and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) were supposed to use mule cars to see how these new systems handle wet conditions. If it rains in Melbourne or during the early rounds, drivers will be racing with almost zero real-world data on the 2026 wet-weather compounds.

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