Formula 1 delays decision on Bahrain and Jeddah while security assessment continues and financial risk grows
Formula 1 has not yet made a final decision on whether the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be held according to the current schedule in April, although both races are still formally listed on the World Championship calendar for April 12 and 19, 2026. The uncertainty is the result of a sudden deterioration in the security situation in the Middle East, after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were among the countries hit in recent days by Iranian missile and drone attacks as part of a broader regional escalation. At the top of the competition, therefore, there is less and less talk only about sport, and more and more about logistics, responsibility toward the teams and the people on the ground, as well as about the business consequences that a possible cancellation would bring to the entire system. The decision has been postponed precisely because at this moment nobody wants to make the call too early, but neither do they want to take on a risk that could later prove unjustified.
According to information confirmed in recent days by leading figures in Formula 1 and several international media outlets, discussions did take place during the season-opening weekend in Melbourne, but no final decision was made. Racing Bulls stated that a deadline for the decision has not yet been formally set, while Formula 1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali and the International Automobile Federation, the FIA, continue to monitor developments. In practice, this means that not only the situation in the host countries is being assessed, but also the safety of air corridors, the movement of personnel, the transport of cars, spare parts, broadcast equipment and everything without which a modern Grand Prix weekend cannot function. In Formula 1, races are not held only on the track, but within a huge international logistics network that very quickly becomes vulnerable when the security picture of a region changes from day to day.
Bahrain and Jeddah are still on the calendar, but everything depends on risk assessment
The official season schedule still lists Bahrain as the fourth race of the championship, followed by Jeddah one week later as the fifth stop on the calendar. At first glance, this may create the impression that nothing is changing, but the reality is different: remaining formally on the calendar does not mean that holding the races is certain, but only that the decision to amend it has not yet been made. Formula 1 is trying to avoid a situation in which it would have to react in panic at the last moment, because such a scenario would have consequences for promoters, television companies, sponsors, fans and above all for the teams themselves, which already plan transport, manpower and technical work cycles well in advance.
An additional sign of caution was already seen at the end of February and the beginning of March, when a smaller Pirelli wet-tyre test in Bahrain was cancelled. Although it was not a full race weekend, the very fact that the test was withdrawn because of security circumstances shows that the concern is not theoretical. Bahrain did, admittedly, earlier this year already host the pre-season testing of the 2026 cars, but the situation in the region has since changed enough that assessments must be carried out again. That is precisely why those at the top of the sport now stress that the decision will not be made only according to the calendar or the contract, but according to whether the entire event can be carried out without unacceptable risk.
The FIA and the teams publicly stress the same thing: safety comes before sport and revenue
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated that the “safety and well-being” of everyone involved will be the main criterion in assessing upcoming events in the region. Such wording is not merely a diplomatic phrase. In motorsport, especially after experiences from previous years of crisis, the language of institutions is often the first indicator of the direction being taken. When the FIA speaks about the well-being of participants, that includes drivers, mechanics, engineers, stewards, medical teams, journalists, organisers, local workers and fans. That is why it is also visible among the teams that nobody wants to publicly push the story of holding the races at any cost.
From the paddock, what is being heard for now is above all a call for calm. Peter Bayer of Racing Bulls said that no decision has yet been made and that there is still enough time until the planned dates to monitor developments. A similar tone is coming from other teams: nobody is downplaying the sensitivity of the situation, and the financial argument is not being pushed ahead of the security one either. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown said that possible business hits in such circumstances are secondary compared with protecting people. Such a position is not only a moral message but also a signal to investors and partners that Formula 1, despite its commercial expansion, does not want to leave the impression that it will hold races regardless of everything.
Huge business stakes: races are not just a sporting event but the foundation of revenue
The decision on Bahrain and Jeddah is one of the biggest sports business decisions of the moment precisely because Formula 1 today depends heavily on a combination of promoter fees, media rights and sponsorship agreements. In financial reports, Liberty Media has repeatedly stated that the bulk of Formula 1 revenue comes precisely from race promoters, television rights and commercial partnerships. Translated, every missed race is not just a hole in the calendar but also a blow to several connected revenue streams at once. Because of that, international reports mention that a possible cancellation of the two Middle Eastern races could cost the sport more than 100 million US dollars, although the exact amount at this stage can only be estimated.
It is particularly sensitive that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are part of a broader strategy of Formula 1 expansion into markets that invest large sums in top-level sport and international visibility. For the holders of commercial rights, promoters and local authorities, such events are not just races but also tourism, economic and political projects. In that sense, any possible cancellation does not mean only a lost race weekend, but also raises questions about relationships with partners, confidence in future commitments and the perception of how resistant the calendar really is to geopolitical disruption. Formula 1 has grown in recent years to record revenues, but precisely for that reason every larger disruption is more visible today than in the period when the sport was financially more modest.
What if the races are dropped: a gap in April and a problem for the rhythm of the season
If Bahrain and Jeddah are removed from the calendar, an unusually long gap would open up between the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March and Miami at the beginning of May. That is not only a scheduling problem for the audience but also an operational challenge for teams that plan the entire season as a series of precisely connected logistical units. The Middle East races in that part of the schedule make sense also because of geographical grouping and the movement of freight between Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. When one such block disappears, it is not enough simply to add a new circuit on paper; it is necessary to check whether a host can activate homologation, safety protocols, medical infrastructure, television production, accommodation, local services and a whole series of commercial obligations at short notice.
That is precisely why possible alternatives have been mentioned in recent days, from Portugal and Turkey to Imola, and in the Australian media there has also been an idea of an additional race in Melbourne. However, according to currently available information, replacement solutions are nowhere near confirmation, and some sources state that Formula 1 is increasingly seriously considering the scenario in which the cancelled races would not be replaced at all. Such a decision would mean a season of 22 rather than 24 Grand Prix weekends. At first glance that may not sound dramatic, but for a sport that has in recent years built its identity on a record-dense and globally spread calendar, it would be a major change both sporting and commercial.
Precedents show that Formula 1 knows how to go in both directions
This situation is not without precedent, but no earlier example is completely the same. Formula 1 in 2022 continued the weekend in Saudi Arabia even after a Houthi attack on an oil facility during practice in Jeddah, when smoke could be seen from the circuit area. On the other hand, in the same year the contract for the Russian Grand Prix was terminated after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in 2023 was cancelled because of devastating floods in Italy. These examples show two things. First, Formula 1 does not react according to one automatic template, but according to a combination of security assessment, political context, logistical feasibility and the stance of stakeholders. Second, when it assesses that conditions cannot be acceptably controlled, the sport does know how to draw the line regardless of the commercial cost.
Because of that, it is important even now to distinguish between two levels of the story. One is formal: the races are still on the calendar. The other is real: the leading figures of the sport are clearly leaving open the possibility of cancellation if they assess that the risk is unacceptable. This postponement of the decision is not a sign of indecision, but an attempt to buy time for the most precise possible assessment. In such a sensitive situation, both cancelling too early and waiting too long carry their price. The first move can cause enormous financial and political consequences, while the second can lead to a scenario in which there is no longer enough time for an orderly and safe withdrawal.
The broader picture: the problem is not only Formula 1 but the stability of the entire sporting calendar in the region
It is also important that Formula 1 is not the only category that has had to react to developments. The World Endurance Championship, FIA WEC, has already postponed the race in Qatar that was supposed to open the season at the end of March, precisely because of the deteriorated geopolitical situation in the Middle East. That move further increases pressure on Formula 1 leaders because it shows that security questions are no longer hypothetical or isolated. When one major FIA series has already made such a move, it is impossible to expect that the same context in Formula 1 will be ignored or treated as a marginal disturbance.
For Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the sporting aspect is only part of the story. Both states have in recent years invested large sums in sport as a means of international promotion, economic positioning and tourism development. Grand Prix weekends are therefore part of a broader picture in which the race is used as a platform to showcase the stability, modernisation and organisational capability of the host. Precisely because of that, a possible cancellation would not be interpreted only as sporting news, but also as a clear indicator that the regional security situation has reached a point at which even the richest and best-organised promoters cannot provide sufficiently firm guarantees for holding a world-class event.
When the decision could be made and what is currently the most likely outcome
As of March 07, 2026, the final deadline has not been officially confirmed, but from statements by people in the paddock it is clear that there is no desire to wait until the very last moment. Formula 1 logistics are such that a serious decision must be made early enough to leave teams, partners and organisers at least a minimum of time to adapt. That is why some media reports mention dates around mid-March or the period up to the race in Japan as a realistic framework within which a final assessment could be made. But for now that remains unofficial and depends on whether the security situation in the region shows signs of stabilisation or further deterioration.
According to the information currently available, the most accurate thing to say is the following: Bahrain and Jeddah have not yet been cancelled, but their staging can no longer be taken for granted. Formula 1 and the FIA are for now buying time, assessing security and in parallel considering what to do with the calendar if the Middle East remains unstable. In such circumstances, each next day without deterioration works in favour of holding the races, but each new escalation pushes the sport toward the increasingly uncomfortable question of how far it may go in defending the calendar. That is why the decision on Bahrain and Saudi Arabia today is much more than the question of two races: it is a test of how Formula 1, as a global sport and an ever bigger business, balances between safety, contracts, political reality and its own promise that no Grand Prix is more valuable than the people who have to make it happen.
Sources:
- Associated Press – report from Melbourne that a decision on Bahrain and Saudi Arabia has not yet been made and that the FIA and Formula 1 are monitoring the development of the security situation (link)
- Associated Press – FIA statement that “safety and well-being” will be the key criteria in deciding on races in the Middle East (link)
- Associated Press – overview of the regional escalation and confirmation that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are among the affected countries (link)
- Liberty Media / Formula One Group – official financial release on the structure of Formula 1 revenue and the importance of promoter fees, media rights and sponsorships (link)
- Liberty Media – earlier official financial release confirming that the bulk of Formula 1 primary revenue consists of race promotion revenue, media rights fees and sponsorship fees (link)
- Formula One World Championship Limited – investor page with references to the official financial reports of the Liberty Media group for Formula 1 (link)