Formula 1 has officially cancelled its Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

F1's chances of racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in successive weeks in mid-April have looked slim since the conflict began earlier this month.

But now the two weekends have been officially cancelled, leaving a hole in F1's 2026 calendar that won't be filled.

It means after the Japanese GP on March 29, there won't be another F1 race until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.

A double header at Suzuka was considered, as was a European venue such as Portimao (which will return to the calendar in 2027) or Imola (which was axed after 2025), stepping in, but a decision has been made not to replace the races.

The cancelled races won't be rescheduled for later in the year, either, given how jam-packed the schedule is.

It means the 2026 season will now take place over 22, rather than 24, races.

"The FIA will always place the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first," FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

"After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. 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.

"Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.

"My sincere thanks to the promoters, our partners, and our colleagues across the championship for the collaborative and constructive approach that has led to this decision."

Why races haven't been replaced

This isn't the same scenario as what faced F1 in the COVID pandemic, when series bosses were able to pull a schedule of 17 races together.

In 2020, F1 needed to get a calendar together to fulfil the minimum number of events that it had guaranteed as part of its big-money TV deals.

But with 22 races planned, those contracts are fulfilled.

There’s still an estimated $100million combined loss in hosting fees for F1’s stakeholders. 

And teams will lose several million dollars each, but will save some money from not having to travel to and race on those two weekends.