F1 has not ruled out Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs later in 2026

It had long been known that the Grands Prix in the Middle East would be canceled. With the war in the region, it is currently impossible for the FIA and F1 to safely organize a Grand Prix there. Given all the teams’ logistical operations to get there, a timely decision had to be made.

That decision was announced on Sunday morning local time in Bahrain. However, there was no official cancellation of the Grands Prix. The press release specifically stated that the races will not be held in April.

Press releases like this are carefully considered. The word choice is therefore not accidental, but clearly intentional. This keeps the option open for F1 and the FIA to still stage the races later in the year. The chances of that, however, seem particularly slim.

First of all, there is the situation in the Middle East itself. As long as there is unrest there, Formula 1 cannot even consider a race in the region. It would put the teams, drivers, and all other stakeholders in unnecessary danger.

The second problem is the Formula 1 calendar itself. With the 22 remaining Grands Prix, the season is already packed. During the summer period, F1 visits all the circuits in Europe, after which it only flies to other continents in September. In theory, you could head back to the Middle East then, but there aren’t many gaps.

Beyond that, the climate in the Middle East must also be considered. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are held at the start of the season for good reason, just as Qatar and Abu Dhabi are at the end of the calendar. Between June and October, temperatures in the Middle East climb to around 40 degrees Celsius. It was a key reason for F1 to move the Qatar Grand Prix to later on the calendar after its first year. In the inaugural edition, drivers literally fainted after the GP due to the heat.

And so, realistically, you could only put Bahrain and Saudi Arabia back on the calendar in November—and there is very little room there. Four Grands Prix are already scheduled in November: Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, and Qatar. Only the weekend of November 15 has no Grand Prix. On December 6, the last GP of the year is held in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi holds the rights to the season finale, so organizing a race after that is not an option.

Of course, you could shift a few things, but with the GP's already planned for that period, it would amount to F1 having to organize eight consecutive Grands Prix to fit Bahrain and Saudi Arabia back onto the calendar. A logistical nightmare that F1 and the FIA will naturally avoid.

In consultation with local authorities, F1 and the FIA deliberately chose this wording, but the chances appear negligible that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will still host a race in 2026.