--- title: "Canceled: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia F1 Races" date: "2026-03-14" modified: "2026-03-14" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/canceled-bahrain-saudi-arabian-f1-races" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Canceled: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia F1 Races ![JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 20: Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President with HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of SAMF prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 20, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)]() *\Mark Sutton \* The inevitable has now been confirmed: The two [Formula 1]() races scheduled for next month in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been canceled. After what felt like a considerably longer time than necessary to deliberate, the FIA confirmed its decision via social media on Saturday afternoon. https://www.instagram.com/p/DV4X6bQjd1u/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Perhaps more surprisingly, neither F1 nor the FIA named any potential replacements for those two GPs. This will effectively give the entire field a month-long break between the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March and the Miami race on May 1. It had previously been discussed holding a solo race at Imola, but event organizers felt there was not enough time to sell tickets, and therefore, they would not be profitable even if Liberty Media offered them a discounted hosting fee. Given the comments on the FIA's Instagram post, it's clear that fans are upset about the removal of two entire races from the World Championship. I'd agree that it sucks, but I'd also side with F1 and the FIA on the fact that propping up an entire F1 race anywhere in the world on just a few weeks' notice is nearly impossible. Sure, it was done during COVID, but those events were closed to the public, so the level of organization and the complexity of logistics were just a fraction of what they would have to be now. Perhaps the silver lining here is that all teams will have a full month between races and will have been given an enormous, uninterrupted break to develop their 2026 packages after a tumultuous start. Surely Mercedes' Toto Wolff won't be too happy about that. But hey, that's racing for ya. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()