The 2026 U.S./Israel-Iran war has severely impacted global trade routes, economic stability, and energy supplies. Others have been impacted too by it; several athletes were unable to travel to the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games because of the travel disruption at Middle Eastern airports. Formula 1 made the decision on March 14 to cancel the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April. On March 14, the F1 stated: “Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the Grands Prix, alongside F2, F3, and F1 Academy rounds, will not take place as scheduled.”
The typical F1 season has 24 races that take place from March to December across various continents and countries. The 2026 season has had to make some adjustments since the cancellations. After testing in Bahrain during February, the March races include Australia, China, and Japan for the first three. The next two were supposed to be Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April, but the war put the sport on a month-long hiatus.
The usual round six (now round four) race is Miami, which begins in May, and has the Canadian GP next. June offers three races: Monaco, Barcelona-Catalunya, and Austria. The next races are held in Great Britain, Belgium, and Hungary in the month of July. There is a month-long break between the Hungarian GP and the Dutch GP; teams will then travel to Italy, Spain, and Azerbaijan during September. Round 16-18 will be in Singapore, Austin, Texas, and Mexico in October. The last four races stretch from November to the first weekend in December, starting in Brazil, then Las Vegas, , Qatar, and lastly Abu Dhabi.
Graham, better known as @averagef1consumer on Instagram, has been a follower of F1 since his reintroduction in 2021. He was not surprised that Formula 1 didn’t replace the two races after canceling them.
“Realistically, it would have been a miracle for F1 to be able to organize a race at a different track in such a short period of time due to the logistics of everything involved (shipping, sponsorship obligations, venue preparation, etc.),” said Graham. He foresaw a possible solution of returning to Suzuka and Albert Park to replace the races, similar to how gaps were filled in the 2020 season.
So, what does this mean for the 2026 season? The current season–that is, three races in so far–will be two races short of a normal season. It will continue like normal after the hiatus in hopes of a normal season. F1A President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, took into careful consideration the safety and well-being of their community and colleagues first. “We continue to hope for calm, safety, and a swift return to stability in the region, and my thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events.”
When fans heard, they were hoping that the F1A would figure out two replacement races to avoid the break. Many fans were throwing out ideas of tracks that could hold the two canceled rounds. “In a perfect world, I would have loved to see Sepang due to it being in proximity to the ‘Oceania/Asia’ leg of the season, and Kyalami since F1 hasn’t raced in Africa in a long, long time,” Graham said.
The drivers have certainly enjoyed the month-long break; usually, they get a weekend in between races, or sometimes they have three races in a row, but they have definitely used it to their advantage.
Nico Hulkenberg, driver for Audi, said he was spending the break with his wife and child, whereas Redbull’s four-time world driver champion Max Verstappen has been focusing on GT3 endurance racing. Some have been seen at tennis matches, like McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, Haas driver Oliver Bearman, and Williams driver Alex Albon. Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas took a quick trip to California to enjoy Coachella, while Williams driver Carlos Sainz and McLaren 2025 World Driver Champion Lando Norris have been enjoying golf and staying active during the break.
Among F1 fans, there are still concerns of the war continuing because it could result in two more cancellations. Qatar and Abu Dhabi are near Iran as well, and if the cancellation of the last two races happens, the 2026 season will end in Las Vegas.
“I think the Abu Dhabi venue specifically would probably throw a fit since they pay big to be the season finale, but F1 owns the paddock building and the entire lot that hosts the front straight in Las Vegas,” said Graham. He said it would be killing two birds with one stone to cancel the final two races and have the season end at the venue F1 has the most ownership stake in.
That would make this a 20-race season, shortening the championship even more for the drivers. The current standings are Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli in first with 72 points, Mercedes driver George Russell in second with 63 points, and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in third with 49 points. Nothing is set in stone for who the possible winner is for the 2026 World Driver Championship. Last year, it was thought that Piastri or Norris would be the contenders until Verstappen pushed his way to the lead. Verstappen won the race in Abu Dhabi, but Norris had 423 points and Verstappen 421. That’s a two-point difference to determine the champion after a 104-point gap between the two drivers after the Dutch Grand Prix in August.
The 2026 season has had its ups and downs with the new regulations, new teams, and war in the very beginning. But hopefully, the ongoing issue is resolved before the end of the year, so there are no more cancellations. The Miami GP will kick off the season’s continuation on May 1 and bring the energy needed back for both the fans, drivers, and teams to pursue the battle for the championship.
