Overview
- FIA and Formula 1 canceled the April races in Bahrain (Sakhir) and Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) because the regional war made staging the events unsafe.
- The cuts leave April without a Grand Prix and shrink the planned 24-round season to 22 races.
- Organizers described the moves as for April only, yet they say slotting the races back in would be extremely difficult due to summer heat and a packed autumn calendar.
- The 2026 season is set to resume with the Miami Grand Prix in early May, and Formula 2 will make up its lost Middle East rounds at Miami and the Canadian event.
- Reports said Saudi officials even offered a missile-defense system to protect the Jeddah circuit, but F1 judged the residual risk too high given recent strikes and a 2022 rocket hit near a nearby oil depot.