Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Will Not Take Place in April

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April because of the ongoing situation in the Middle East, Formula 1 confirmed on Saturday, according to Formula 1 (opens in a new tab).

Several alternatives were considered, but no replacement races will be added in April. The Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy rounds scheduled for those weekends will also not take place at their scheduled times. The decision was made in full consultation with the FIA and the two race promoters.

The news came on the Saturday of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend in Shanghai, the second round of the season.

What the leaders said

"While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East," said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1. "We cannot wait to be back with them as soon as the circumstances allow us to do so."

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the governing body "will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first."

"Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow," Ben Sulayem said.

The promoters respond

Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, chief executive of the Bahrain International Circuit, said the circuit fully supports the decision. "We look forward to welcoming fans from all around the world back to Bahrain when F1 returns," he said.

Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, said fans across the kingdom had been looking forward to racing in Jeddah in April. "We understand the considerations behind this decision and remain in close partnership with Formula 1," he said.

A long gap in the schedule

Without the two rounds, the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 is followed by a five-week break until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

Read our recaps of the Chinese Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Bahrain round was later staged in Malaysia, where Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang. The day after this announcement, Kimi Antonelli took his maiden win in China. Follow the title fight in our 2026 F1 standings breakdown.

Sources: Formula 1. More Formula 1 coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Richard Pardon / Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team