Formula 1 in the Middle East: When Sport Meets Geopolitics

F1 Bahrain Saudi Arabia GP cancellation Iran war 2026

The 2026 Formula 1 season was supposed to begin in Bahrain. After Bahrain, the second race was in Saudi Arabia.

Both races were cancelled. Why?

Because of the war in the Middle East. The US-Israeli campaign against Iran began on February 28.

This created an extremely dangerous security environment in the Gulf region. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia both had concerns about the safety of teams, drivers, and spectators.

Formula 1 made the decision to cancel both races and begin the season in Melbourne, Australia instead. This kind of cancellation is rare in Formula 1.

The sport has only cancelled races a few times in its history — mostly during extreme weather or exceptional circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The cancellations affected the championship calendar, reducing the season from 24 planned races to 22.

This means every remaining race is even more valuable in terms of points. Teams and drivers must now rethink their strategies for the year.

Interestingly, the cancellations may have had an unexpected effect on the championship order: they removed two early races from the schedule at which certain teams traditionally perform very well in the heat and on specific track layouts.