The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix scheduled for next month are expected to be cancelled because of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Although a formal announcement has not yet been made, a decision is anticipated before the end of the weekend due to escalating safety concerns.

With freight due to be shipped soon and no sign of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran easing, officials believe proceeding with the races would put personnel at significant risk. As a result, the season will be reduced to 22 races, and the sport faces a commercial loss of more than £100 million, as both countries pay among the highest hosting fees.

Alternative venues in Portugal, Italy and Turkey were considered. However, organisers concluded there was not enough time to prepare replacement events or secure hosting agreements, leading to a five-week gap in the calendar between the Japanese Grand Prix in late March and the Miami race in early May.