Formula 1 is set to cancel the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, races that would mark the fourth and fifth rounds of this year’s season. The information, revealed this Friday (13), comes from Sky Sports, which also states there are no venues to replace the two rounds in the Middle East, causing the championship to consist of 22 GPs instead of the 24 originally planned. The announcement is expected by Sunday, the day of the Chinese GP. FIA and F1 did not respond to the British broadcaster’s report.
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The reason for the cancellation, if confirmed, is the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began two weeks ago and has also been affecting other Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Bahraini round was scheduled for April 10, 11, and 12 at the Sakhir circuit, while F1’s visit to Saudi lands would take place a week later, on the 17th, 18th, and 19th of the same month, at a street circuit in Jeddah.
Initially, the category chose to wait for the conflict to unfold to decide what action to take. According to Sky Sports, due to the lack of perspective on the end of the war, the choice was to cancel the event. The Portimão circuit in Portugal and Imola in Italy were considered as replacements for the two races in the Middle East, but there would not be enough time to hold the races still in April.
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With the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the calendar will have a large gap, with no races in April. Thus, after the Japanese GP on March 29, F1 will only have a new round on May 3, when the Miami GP will be held in the United States.
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