Formula 1 to cancel 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix amid Middle East conflict

[gearboxtrouble]

Don't understand why they don't separate the decision and choose to cancel only Bahrain at the moment. The extra time could make a big difference for the Saudi GP and the freight can stay in Japan until then.

[AR3-GP]

Don't understand why they don't separate the decision and choose to cancel only Bahrain at the moment. The extra time could make a big difference for the Saudi GP and the freight can stay in Japan until then.

The circuit promoter isn’t going to cancel the race ahead of time when it’s in theory possible that it can be held. It would violate their agreement with FOM and they won’t get the hosting fee back. FOM can’t cancel too soon either because they don’t want to have to refund the hosting fee.

Both sides will want force majeure so that insurance policies cover the losses.

[bluechris]

Its a case closed guys, they will fly to Europe. There is no sign anywhere that the war will end like that in a week.

[hollus]

That subtle slippery slope going from politics affecting F1 to politics loosely related to F1 to just politics…

Let’s avoid entering that slope, please, it is slippery and magnetic.

Some posts in category 2 have been deleted.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

I do not see huge issue with that. If you look at Flightradar for example you see that air routes are forming and full, but nothing more than for example along the US east cost.


That is true. But this is my point: This affects much larger things than "just" F1. We have finance sector down to Covid like travel and we have petrochemical industry with no specialist workers from EU/US.
I think there is huge push to have this no travel status waived. This is maybe a reason for this nightmare not taking long.


I still do not see an issue on cancelling the cargo and leaving it for 2 weeks in Oz and flying it out later. This is anyways mostly full plane charters. Costs money, but might be the only good solution.
But yeah...realistically Bahrain will not happen.

You seriously think they're going to waive a no travel status for a war zone???

No. Selective interpretation day again?
I seriously think that this war might end as quick as it started.

Not selective interpretation, merely realistic understanding of the world.

I gave a more detailed reply but it hot deleted because it required discussion of Middle Eastern politics.

Suffice to say that there is a near zero chance this all blows over quickly.

[Shrieker]

Haven't the Turks already shot down an Iranian missile that strayed near their territory?

Granted a full scale attack on Turkey would be a NATO Article 5 moment, but still, not unlikely enough to make it a fully safe backup, much as it's a fun track.

İstanbul is closer to Vienna, than to the Iranian border, fwiw. It was also rumored that the missile they fired was intended for one of the British bases in Cyprus. In any case, far, far from İstanbul.

[AR3-GP]

The Iranian president has issues apology and told neighboring countries that they will not attack. If the governments in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have watertight assurances from Iran, then I don't see any problems with the races being held.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television.

He also apologized for Iran's attacks on regional countries, saying that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.

[ScottB]

The Iranian president has issues apology and told neighboring countries that they will not attack. If the governments in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have watertight assurances from Iran, then I don't see any problems with the races being held.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television.

He also apologized for Iran's attacks on regional countries, saying that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.

That's not how that works. As long as countries that the teams are based in, chiefly the UK, are saying don't travel there, the teams won't get insurance and neither will the people. No insurance, no race and nobody is going to do that on the word of the Iranian president.

Also worth remembering the drivers nearly boycotted the Saudi race after one explosion near the track a few years ago.

[Ozan]

they can always add Turkiye Istanbul park Like they added it in 2020 and 2021, the circuit is ready to go

[Cold Fussion]

Saudi basically held them hostage to do that race, would be crazy to fly into Saudi now.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

The Iranian president has issues apology and told neighboring countries that they will not attack. If the governments in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have watertight assurances from Iran, then I don't see any problems with the races being held.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television.

He also apologized for Iran's attacks on regional countries, saying that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.

And then continued to fire missiles at them anyway.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

The Iranian president has issues apology and told neighboring countries that they will not attack. If the governments in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have watertight assurances from Iran, then I don't see any problems with the races being held.

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television.

He also apologized for Iran's attacks on regional countries, saying that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.

That's not how that works. As long as countries that the teams are based in, chiefly the UK, are saying don't travel there, the teams won't get insurance and neither will the people. No insurance, no race and nobody is going to do that on the word of the Iranian president.

Also worth remembering the drivers nearly boycotted the Saudi race after one explosion near the track a few years ago.

Exactly. Outside of the teams, you also need Marshalls etc who would be travelling from the UK and other countries and they aren't going to be able to get cover if a travel advisory remains in place.

[AR3-GP]

The Iranian president has issues apology and told neighboring countries that they will not attack. If the governments in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have watertight assurances from Iran, then I don't see any problems with the races being held.

That's not how that works. As long as countries that the teams are based in, chiefly the UK, are saying don't travel there, the teams won't get insurance and neither will the people. No insurance, no race and nobody is going to do that on the word of the Iranian president.

Also worth remembering the drivers nearly boycotted the Saudi race after one explosion near the track a few years ago.

Exactly. Outside of the teams, you also need Marshalls etc who would be travelling from the UK and other countries and they aren't going to be able to get cover if a travel advisory remains in place.

Travel advisories can be removed. It’s called diplomacy. Standing advisories impact the tourism industry. They will work to remove them IF the conditions and stability in the region can be guaranteed. You think places like Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai will stay under advisory forever?

[Hoffman900]

That's not how that works. As long as countries that the teams are based in, chiefly the UK, are saying don't travel there, the teams won't get insurance and neither will the people. No insurance, no race and nobody is going to do that on the word of the Iranian president.

Also worth remembering the drivers nearly boycotted the Saudi race after one explosion near the track a few years ago.

Exactly. Outside of the teams, you also need Marshalls etc who would be travelling from the UK and other countries and they aren't going to be able to get cover if a travel advisory remains in place.

Travel advisories can be removed. It’s called diplomacy. Standing advisories impact the tourism industry. They will work to remove them IF the conditions and stability in the region can be guaranteed. You think places like Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai will stay under advisory forever?

Now you’re an expert on geopolitics and war?

No one is flying into these places in the near future unless they have to. Besides the teams (people and equipment), you have tons of support personel, let alone fans. The airfare and insurance policies alone would be insane for teams right now.

[AR3-GP]

Exactly. Outside of the teams, you also need Marshalls etc who would be travelling from the UK and other countries and they aren't going to be able to get cover if a travel advisory remains in place.

Travel advisories can be removed. It’s called diplomacy. Standing advisories impact the tourism industry. They will work to remove them IF the conditions and stability in the region can be guaranteed. You think places like Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai will stay under advisory forever?

Now you’re an expert on geopolitics and war?

No one is flying into these places in the near future unless they have to. Besides the teams (people and equipment), you have tons of support personel, let alone fans. The airfare and insurance policies alone would be insane for teams right now.

Do you think there will never be another middle eastern GP ever again? One day there will be conditions under which normal service will resume in these regions. I am not claiming to know of any timeline. IF it happens sooner, then anything is possible.