Formula 1 Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Amid Escalating Tensions in the Middle East

Riyadh. Formula One (F1) races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been canceled. Formula One and its governing body, the FIA, canceled the races scheduled for April, citing the war with Iran as the reason.

As the United States and Israel intensify attacks on Iran, Iran is also escalating attacks on Israel and countries in the Gulf region where US military bases are located. This announcement was made on Sunday morning ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

According to a statement issued by F1, the decision was made not to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April. According to the F1 calendar, the race was scheduled to be held in Bahrain on April 12 and in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on April 19. Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1, stated that this difficult but necessary decision was made considering the current situation. He said, 'Considering the current situation in the Middle East, it is unfortunate to make such a decision, but this is the right decision for now.'

Similarly, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), stated that the safety of the motorsport community is the first priority. 'This decision was made after serious consideration, keeping in mind the safety and welfare of our community and colleagues,' he said.

The FIA and F1 have not used the words canceled or postponed for these races. This indicates that the possibility of rescheduling them later, if circumstances permit, remains open. Ben Sulayem mentioned that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are extremely important for the F1 season and expressed the hope to return to those venues as soon as the situation eases.