Three rounds into a new season and a fresh rules era, Formula 1 has been forced into an extended pause. Following the Japanese Grand Prix — won by Kimi Antonelli — the series will not race again for five weeks after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian events were canceled due to the war in Iran, leaving an unusually quiet April on the calendar.
The next stop is Miami, where the race weekend runs May 1-3 around the Miami Dolphins' stadium, with the Grand Prix itself set for May 3. Bahrain had been scheduled for April 12 and Saudi Arabia for April 19, so the cancellations have created a 35-day gap between races.
F1’s call was driven by safety concerns, with the situation in the region deemed too unstable to proceed. Confirmation of the cancellations arrived on March 14 — just under a month before teams were due to head to Bahrain — a timeline influenced by the sport’s complex logistics, including freight-shipping deadlines to the Middle East.
While the Bahrain decision was straightforward, the status of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was less clear-cut before the final call was made. Ultimately, both races were struck from the schedule amid the ongoing uncertainty.
Filling the hole in the calendar at short notice was never a realistic option. The F1 schedule is assembled months in advance and each event depends on a vast operational footprint. Any replacement would have required a venue ready to host immediately, the necessary organizational support, and time to sell tickets — none of which was achievable within the available window. As a result, there were no viable stand-in events to insert.
For now, attention turns to Florida, where the championship will resume at the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. After an unexpectedly quiet stretch, the paddock will reconvene in early May to continue the 2026 campaign under F1’s updated regulations.
---
*Originally published on [News Formula 1](https://newsformula.one/article/why-f1-has-a-five-week-break-miami-next-after-cancellations). Visit for full coverage.*