Formula 1 is expected to cancel races next month in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to safety reasons as a military conflict grows in the Middle East, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
F1 had scheduled a race in Bahrain for April 12 and another in Saudi Arabia on April 19, two mainstays on the calendar for years.
But the war launched by the United States and Israel on Iran has spread across the region and into those two countries, creating major security concerns and uncertainty about whether traveling or racing there will be safe.
The cancellation could be announced by F1 and the FIA, the sport’s governing body, by the end of this weekend. It would cut the number of Grand Prix weekends in 2026 for the racing series from 24 to 22. The news was first reported Friday by Sky Sports.
A Formula 1 spokesperson declined to comment.
F1 officials have been wrestling with the issue for nearly two weeks, since the war began. The lack of a formal decision at this time could mean they're biding time to see if the situation improves quickly. Alternately they could simply be waiting until the end of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix to make it official.
There are no plans to replace the Middle East races, the two sources who spoke to NBC News said. It is seen as a difficult task on such a short time frame.
Failure to replace either grand prix would mean no F1 races for the month of April, a financial hit to the sport and a blow for its fans. It would leave a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
The 2026 F1 season began last weekend in Australia with a victory for Mercedes driver George Russell.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton voiced confidence in Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to make the right decision.
“I know that Stefano will do what is right for all of us and the sport,” Hamilton said, according to ESPN.
