F1 Slated to Cancel Bahrain, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Due to War In Iran

Formula 1’s early-season schedule is about to take a major hit … the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix are expected to be canceled as fighting in the Gulf region continues to escalate.

Confirmation of the scrapped races could come as soon as this weekend, according to a report from crash.net. The events have been in serious doubt since joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran triggered fighting across the region.

With security concerns mounting and air travel still disrupted, F1 and the FIA are expected to pull the plug -- despite Saudi organizers reportedly pushing hard to keep the Jeddah race alive.

The decision also comes down to logistics.

Freight that was originally scheduled to head from Japan to Bahrain and then Saudi Arabia reportedly will now be diverted to Miami instead -- forcing teams and organizers to quickly rework travel and shipping plans involving tons of cars, garages and race equipment.

Teams are also dealing with equipment already scattered across the Middle East. Some freight remains in Bahrain from preseason testing -- where garages are still set up -- while additional gear has already been staged in Jeddah.

The cancellations could also impact future racing this season, too.

With a four-week gap now opening between Japan and Miami, teams will have extra time at their factories to analyze early-season data and accelerate upgrades that were originally planned for the Middle East races.