The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile announced Saturday that both the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for April 5, and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, set for April 12, had been cancelled due to security concerns arising from the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in the surrounding region.

The decision represented one of the most significant disruptions to a Formula 1 season calendar in decades, removing two consecutive events from the schedule and leaving a five-week gap at the start of the season. Teams, sponsors, and broadcasters were scrambling to assess the financial impact of losing two races that together generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said in a statement that the safety of drivers, team personnel, officials, and fans had to be the paramount consideration, and that the current security environment in the Gulf region made it impossible to responsibly host events of such scale. He said the organization was working urgently to explore whether replacement venues could be identified.

Bahrain’s government expressed disappointment at the decision but said it understood the circumstances and remained committed to its long-term relationship with Formula 1. The Bahrain International Circuit had hosted the sport’s season opener in recent years and the cancellation was a significant blow to the country’s motorsport ambitions.

Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Street Circuit, which had become one of the calendar’s marquee events, would also go dark in 2026 for the first time since its debut in 2021. Saudi officials were less publicly accommodating about the decision, with government statements expressing frustration at what they characterized as an exaggerated assessment of security risks.

The cancellations were welcomed by many within the motorsport community who had expressed private concerns about racing in the region amid the conflict. Several drivers and team representatives had indicated unease about traveling to the Gulf, and the FIA’s decision effectively resolved a debate that had been simmering for weeks.

Potential replacement circuits were already being discussed, with teams and the commercial rights holder exploring whether existing venues such as Portimão in Portugal or Mugello in Italy could be repurposed on short notice. Both circuits had previously hosted Grands Prix as substitute venues during the disruptions of the early 2020s.

From a championship perspective, the cancellations reduced the 2026 season from 24 to 22 rounds, affecting points calculations and the strategic planning of all ten teams. The first scheduled race of the season now shifted to Australia in late April, giving teams less on-track data early in the year.

The financial impact on the teams was considerable. Travel, logistics, and operational costs already committed to the Gulf events would have to be written off, and the loss of prize money and commercial income from two events created meaningful budget pressure at a time when several midfield teams were already operating close to the cost cap.

Insurance claims related to the event cancellations were expected to be complex, with questions arising about whether force majeure clauses would apply given that the security situation had been developing for weeks before any official cancellation decision was made. Legal teams at multiple organizations were expected to be busy for months with the resulting disputes.