Bahrain and Saudi F1 races unlikely to be replaced if canceled

Formula 1 is unlikely to replace the upcoming races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia if the pair are canceled due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, RACER understands.

Military action launched by the United States and Israel last week has sparked retaliatory strikes from Iran, with countries including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar among those targeted. F1 is due to hold races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as a back-to-back pairing on April 12 and 19 respectively, as the fourth and fifth rounds of its season.

After the World Endurance Championship postponed its opening round in Qatar – originally scheduled for March 28 – focus has turned to whether F1 will proceed with its plans to race in the region, or look to secure alternative venues.

RACER understands that the logistics and commercial considerations involved in a new race location in the original dates make such a move unlikely, and there is an acceptance that the two Middle Eastern rounds are likely to be canceled barring a dramatic improvement in the situation in the coming 10 days.

There is also very little leeway in the schedule to include rounds later in the year without encroaching on the mandatory summer shutdown. Although the expectation is for the two races to drop off the calendar and the championship become a 22-race season, a final decision is not required until the point that freight would need to be dispatched in the gap between the Chinese and Japanese grands prix. 

As a result, no announcement of any change to the schedule is expected to be made until mid-March. Teams are set to be informed of any further developments during a wider meeting with F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali on Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix.