F1 thrown into chaos as occasion cancelled and opening race doubts amid Iran missile strikes
Formula One has been thrown into chaos on the eve of the 2026 season following Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran.
The Middle East has been thrown into crisis as Iran responded to the bombs by firing missiles at locations across the Middle East – including Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. And it has left some question marks ahead of the season opener for F1 teams.
Despite the Middle Eastern races not happening right at the start of the season, the chaos in the region has had knock on effects that has left the season opener in Australian with some doubts as teams scramble to reach Down Under.
Tyre testing cancelled
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Over the weekend, F1 tyre provider Pirelli was forced to call off their two-day wet tyre test in Bahrain. One of the drivers scheduled to test the tyres was Frederik Vesti, who stepped in for Lewis Hamilton at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix practice session.
Pirelli said: “The two days of development tests for wet-weather compounds, scheduled for today and tomorrow at the Bahrain International Circuit, have been cancelled for security reasons following the evolving international situation.
“All Pirelli personnel currently in Manama are safe in their hotels. The company is working to ensure their safety and arrange their return to Italy and the UK as soon as possible.”
Teams hit by travel chaos
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The immediate knock on effect from the missile strikes is the closure of airspace in the Middle East. And some teams have been left scrambling to change their routes to Australia with Qatar and the UAE serving as major hubs.
However, a larger logistical headache has been narrowly avoided, after the cars and supporting equipment were already shipped from last month’s testing in Bahrain.
Travis Auld, chief executive of the Australian GP Corporation, explained that all the cars are sitting on the main straight at Albert Park in containers. But he acknowledged personnel were having to make alternative arrangements to make it to the race.
Proposed calendar changes
Craig Slater, an F1 Journalist, has explained how the calendar could change if April’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have to be cancelled.
He explained that F1 are “monitoring the situation” and “they won’t make any knee-jerk reactions”. Slater added: “It’s not easy to think where you slot those races back in. There is a little bit of a three-week gap in May.
“There’s the August summer break, but that’s very hot in the Middle East to be adding a race in there, potentially around Singapore. Might it be possible if they can’t run a Bahrain or a Saudi Arabia that they could slot it back in there potentially.”
What will happen if races are cancelled
There is a possibility the races could be moved if they are cancelled – however, there is no current suggestion that the races are in danger with over a month until the drivers are set to line up on the grid in Bahrain.
In the past, F1 have relied on a number of tracks to jump in at short notice – such as Turkey with Istanbul Park repeatedly expressing its interest in hosting again, and it has already proven its ability to return to the calendar during the pandemic-affected seasons.
While The Algarve circuit in Portimão successfully hosted races in recent years and is already scheduled to return to the F1 calendar in 2027.
