The Formula 1 season has been thrown into disarray with the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekends. The decision comes as a result of the war in the Middle East, with organisers deeming it unsafe to proceed with the races.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Called Off
The Bahrain event at Sakhir, initially scheduled for 10-12 April, and the Saudi event in Jeddah, due to take place a week later, will no longer go ahead. Formula 1 made the decision after “careful evaluations” of the situation in the region.
The races will not be rescheduled or replaced. This means the F1 season will be reduced to 22 races. There will now be a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on 27-29 March and the Miami Grand Prix on 1-3 May.
Financial Implications of the Cancellations
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi races will result in a commercial hit of well over £100m. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pay two of the largest hosting fees on the circuit.
That money is split between the 11 teams and F1 itself, according to the sports complicated revenue structure.
F1’s Response to the Middle East Conflict
F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. He stated it was the right one considering the current situation in the Middle East.
Domenicali thanked the FIA and the promoters for their support and understanding. He expressed his eagerness to return as soon as circumstances allow.
Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, chief executive of the Bahrain International Circuit, voiced his full support for Formula 1’s decision. He also expressed gratitude to the FIA for their support and enduring partnership. He stated he looked forward to welcoming fans back to Bahrain when F1 returns.
Concerns Over Safety and Logistics
The decision to cancel the Bahrain and Saudi races was inevitable. This was due to the war the US and Israel launched against Iran at the end of February.
The conflict had already disrupted F1 this season. A large number of personnel had their journeys to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last weekend disrupted when airspace in the Middle East was closed.
Teams, F1 and media had to find alternative routes to Melbourne. Many had planned routes via popular transit hubs in the Gulf such as Dubai and Doha.
In Australia, it was already clear that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian events were under serious threat unless the conflict could be quickly resolved.
This was because of the known demands of F1 international freight and logistics.
With both sites at risk of attack from Iran or its allies, the cancellation announcement felt inevitable for some time.
The Bahraini capital Manama hosts a US naval base in the residential district of Juffair. Many F1 personnel stay there during the race weekend.
The Saudi event was hit in 2022 when a missile strike was launched against it.
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekends means the sport will take a commercial hit of well over £100m.