Formula 1 considers new race cancellations due to the war in the Middle East

The Bahrain Grand Prix for the 2026 season, initially scheduled for April 12 at the "Bahrain International Circuit" track, did not take place. The Formula 1 management confirmed the cancellation of both the start in Bahrain and the race in Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As a result, the 2026 calendar has been shortened from 24 to 22 races – and Max Verstappen did not record a victory in Bahrain for one simple reason: a start was not given there at all.

A season marked by "Mercedes", not Red Bull

Despite the preliminary predictions for a new dominance by Red Bull, the 2026 season is currently developing under the sign of "Mercedes". George Russell won the opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8, finishing ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli and bringing a double success for the "silver arrows" in Melbourne. Shortly afterwards, Antonelli recorded two consecutive victories – in China on March 15 and in Japan on March 29 – consolidating the image of "Mercedes" as a benchmark for speed in the first season under the seriously updated technical regulations of Formula 1.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen experienced a difficult start to the season. In Australia, he finished only sixth, more than 54 seconds behind Russell, which further emphasizes the change in the power balance compared to recent years.

A five-week break before Miami

The cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia opened a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix and the next round in Miami, scheduled for May 1–3. The decision was announced on March 14 with security-related motives: Iranian retaliatory strikes on American military facilities in the Persian Gulf zone made holding the races in the region impossible at an acceptable risk.

Along with the two starts from the Formula 1 calendar, the accompanying weekend races from "Formula 2", "Formula 3" and F1 Academy, which were to be held on the same tracks, were also canceled.

Prospects for rescheduling

Former Formula 1 driver Robert Doornbos commented that the canceled starts in the Middle East could be transferred to a later date within 2026. Among the discussed options is a December window, which would also move the traditional end of the season in Abu Dhabi further back in the calendar.

However, there are currently no official steps to return these races to the program. Formula 1 emphasizes that the safety of the drivers, teams and service personnel remains an "absolute priority" – even if this means a season with fewer starts and longer breaks between them.