Craig Slater provides an update on 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races amid Middle East conflict

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Journalist Craig Slater has suggested that Formula 1 are ‘monitoring the situation’ in the Middle East ahead of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The 2026 Formula 1 season begins this weekend in Australia, with Melbourne once again hosting the opening race.

A Pirelli tyre test that was planned to take place in Bahrain with McLaren and Mercedes was cancelled over the weekend, and many team personnel and people in the media have had their flights cancelled as they prepared to head to Melbourne.

Races in China and Japan follow the season opener in Australia, before the Bahrain Grand Prix is due to take place on 12 April.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is supposed to take place seven days later, and Craig Slater has shared how likely it currently is that both events will go ahead.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable moments from the Bahrain Grand Prix

Formula 1 ‘monitoring the situation’ ahead of the 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Slater was asked on Sky Sports News if there was a risk that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix could be cancelled due to conflict in the Middle East.

He explained: “Well, I’ve been on to Formula 1 about that, and they say they are monitoring the situation, but they won’t make any knee-jerk reactions.

“They’re pointing out that there are still four or five weeks to go until those events are due to take place, and maybe there can be an amelioration of the situation, a ceasefire or a de-escalation or something along those lines.

“However, while they’ll liaise with the governments in those territories, they have shown that they can be adaptable and fluid with the calendar in the past.

Which circuit would you like to see F1 add to the calendar?

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“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.

“The problem is you’ve got clusters of two races and sometimes three together. And I don’t think Formula 1 would be keen to have four weekends in a row of action because it’s just a logistical headache.”

Slater also pointed out that Bahrain would be easier to slot into the calendar because the circuit is used less than Saudi Arabia, which is technically a street circuit.

READ MORE: The best Saudi Arabian Grand Prix moments

Which circuits could be used instead of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia if either event is cancelled?

There are a host of circuits trying to join the Formula 1 calendar, with the Portuguese Grand Prix re-emerging in 2027.

The Turkish Grand Prix is working hard to rejoin F1, while other countries like Thailand, South Korea, South Africa and Rwanda have also put their names forward in the recent past.

Journalist Matt Coch took to X to provide an update on which tracks could step in at late notice if the Grand Prix in either Bahrain or Saudi Arabia were cancelled.

He said: “Should Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs be cancelled, where could F1 race instead? India has been floated, but [the] circuit isn’t homologated, and tax issues make that a no-go. There are others that could slot in quickly, though…

“Portugal is the obvious one. [The] circuit is ready to go, and it has stepped in before. Turkey is another, but [the] average temperature in Istanbul in March is quite low. Not impossible, but not ideal. Another option is Imola.

“I was told last year that, “Imola is the first reserve driver (sic) if a GP is cancelled.” Finances will play a huge factor. Bahrain and Saudi will leave a massive hole, so FOM will look to minimise that impact.”

Imola being the ‘first reserve’ makes sense given it’s the only circuit that hosted a Grand Prix last year that isn’t on the calendar this season.

However, one of the reasons the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is no longer held is because of the lack of income compared to other more lucrative events.