Overview
- Formula 1 and the FIA officially cancelled Bahrain (April 12) and Saudi Arabia (April 19) with no replacements, creating a gap from Japan on March 29 to Miami on May 3.
- Officials cited participant safety and disrupted air travel in the region as key factors, with short notice and promoter constraints making April stand‑ins unworkable.
- Support series including Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy also lose their Bahrain and Saudi rounds, extending competitive layoffs into late May and early June.
- Kimi Antonelli, 19, took his maiden Grand Prix victory in Shanghai, leading a Mercedes one‑two ahead of George Russell, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton third.
- McLaren suffered a double non‑start due to separate technical issues on both cars, while Max Verstappen retired late with another defect and two other drivers failed to take the start.