Sources - Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 races unlikely to take place

Record ID: 2364593

  • Title: Sources - Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 races unlikely to take place
  • Date: 9th March 2026
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 9, 2026) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS F1 CORRESPONDENT, ALAN BALDWIN, SAYING: "The calendar is very healthy. There are circuits that want places, can't get them.  24 races is a record number. Well, it was 24 last year, but there hasn't been a bigger calendar. So going down to 22 would still be an extensive calendar compared
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Bahrain F1 Formula One Gulf Iran Israel Saudi Arabia USA war
  • Location: SAKHIR, BAHRAIN / LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
  • City: SAKHIR, BAHRAIN / LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
  • Country: Bahrain
  • Topics: Middle East,Motor Racing,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA003233009032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix are unlikely to be replaced on what would become a 22-race Formula One calendar if, as now looks probable, they are cancelled due to conflict in the Middle East.
    Multiple senior sources in the F1 paddock have told Reuters that reducing the world championship from a scheduled 24 rounds was the most probable outcome.
    Bahrain's floodlit race at the Sakhir circuit to the south of Manama is scheduled for April 12 with the Saudi race in Jeddah due on the following weekend.
    MotoGP is also due to race at Qatar's Lusail circuit near Doha on April 12 and has said that date looks very difficult for them to fulfill, with the round unlikely to move to another venue. The World Endurance Championship (WEC) round in Doha on March 26-28 has been postponed.
    Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain's capital Manama have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, with a hotel hit in the latter city, after U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Major airports in the region, significant hubs for international travelers, remain closed.
    Rescheduling the Formula One races for the same venues later in the year would be extremely difficult since temperatures are much higher in the region through the European summer and autumn.
    There is also an absence of obvious slots, with Formula One keen to maintain its August break and relieve the burden on teams.
    Although a number of circuits have been mooted in the media as possible replacements -- Italy's Imola, France's Le Castellet and Portugal's Portimao as well as Turkey's Istanbul Park -- the practical reality of shifting the circus at short notice makes it a major logistical challenge.
    (Production: Iain Axon, Oliver Regan)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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