Formula 1 has canceled the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to security concerns caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the sport’s governing body, stated that the decision was made after “careful evaluations” determined that it was not safe to host either event while the violence continued.

The Bahrain race in Sakhir was scheduled for April 10-12, with the Saudi Arabian event in Jeddah following a week later.

In a statement issued ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday, the FIA reaffirmed that the races will not be rescheduled or replaced on the 2026 calendar.

“As always, the FIA will place the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The cancellations mean that the Formula 1 season will now have 22 races as opposed to 24.

It also creates a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix in late March and the Miami Grand Prix in early May.

Formula 1 considered many potential replacement venues, including Portugal’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Italy’s Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, and Turkey’s Istanbul Park.

However, organizers determined that holding a race on short notice would be challenging due to logistics, ticket sales, and the impact on already overburdened personnel.

The cancellations are estimated to cost the sport more than £100 million, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia paying some of the largest hosting fees on the Formula 1 calendar.

These fees are normally split between the teams and the sport’s commercial rights holder, Formula One Group.

significant,While the financial impact is significant officials stated that safety concerns made the decision necessary.

The schedule break will now allow teams more time to analyse the season’s first races and continue development under the sport’s new engine regulations.