Formula One has announced the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, which were due to take place in April, because of the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
The races had been scheduled for 12 April in Bahrain and 19 April in Saudi Arabia. In a statement, F1 said that after careful evaluation it was decided the races would not take place in April, and that no substitute events would be staged during that month. The Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy support rounds will also not go ahead at their scheduled times.
The decision was taken in consultation with the FIA and the respective promoters. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said it was a difficult decision but the right one given the circumstances, and thanked the FIA and promoters for their support. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the organisation would always place the safety and wellbeing of its community first.
The Bahrain International Circuit at Sakhir is located approximately 20 miles from a US base that has been targeted in Iranian attacks. Some team freight remains stranded in Bahrain since pre-season testing, and there was no desire to send further equipment that could not be retrieved.
As a result, the season will now comprise 22 rounds. A gap of five weeks will exist between the third round in Japan on 29 March and the fourth round in Miami on 3 May, a period teams are expected to use to develop their cars under the sport's new regulations.
