The Bahrain Grand Prix, held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, is currently scheduled for April 12. As for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, that's set to take place at Jeddah's Corniche Circuit on April 19. Unfortunately, both races are set to be cancelled.
While an official announcement hasn't been made as we write this, multiple outlets—including the BBC and Sky Sports—are reporting that neither race will go ahead as planned due to the war in the Middle East.
The Formula 1 teams that line up on the grid, as well as F1, would need to begin shipping materials to the Middle East in the coming days. However, with nothing to indicate that the conflict between the U.S./Israel and Iran is close to being resolved, holding either race would be too much of a risk for personnel, drivers, and the fans planning to attend.
For a multitude of reasons, the decision has been made not to replace either race on the calendar (F1 is a huge operation, and it's not as simple as the teams just showing up to the track with their cars). That cuts the season to 22 Grand Prix and means F1 will lose upwards of $130 million in hosting fees alone.
It's said that races at Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy or Istanbul Park in Turkey were discussed, but organising and holding them in time was near-impossible.
While a couple of F1 races pale in comparison to what's happening with the war in the Middle East, this will still come as a blow to fans. After all, it means there's now a five-week break between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
This comes at an awkward time for Formula 1. The new regulations have been widely criticised by drivers and fans, with F1's social media accounts hiding replies complaining about the updated cars.
Many feel they're anti-racing and create artificial excitement on track with the increased number of overtakes. Mercedes' engine exploit, giving them such a huge advantage (and F1 not doing anything about it, as of now), is also a sticking point for some.
Plus, even four-time World Champion Max Verstappen's latest complaints were edited out of a press conference by the Liberty Media-owned company!
"I found a cheaper solution. I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch and, yeah, practicing a bit of Mario Kart, actually," Verstappen joked when asked about preparing for races on a SIM rig. "Yeah, finding the mushrooms is going quite well. The blue shell is a bit more difficult, but I’m working on it. The rockets are still not there. The rocket is coming!"