The 2026 Formula 1 season has got off to a strange start: three grands prix in the space of four weeks, then a five-week break.

You wouldn’t plan a calendar this way and, of course, Formula One Management did not. The gap has come about due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix.

The circumstances behind the loss of the two races is hugely regrettable. The loss of life in the Middle East resulting from the outbreak of war originally involving America, Israel and Iran is appalling.

But F1 may have been fortunate in the timing of its two cancelled races. The championship was already facing significant criticism of its new regulations on multiple grounds: safety, the deterioration of the driving challenge and the quality of racing.

As a result it has an unexpected, five-week gap to consider changes to the rules. It is taking advantage of this by holding a series of meetings to discuss solutions which it could put in place before the next round in Miami.

Of course no one wants to see races being cancelled, least of all for the awful reasons these have been taken off the calendar. But from F1’s perspective alone, are you pleased by the unexpected ‘spring break’?

For

F1 is extremely lucky to have this unplanned hiatus, particularly given the circumstances of Oliver Bearman’s crash at Suzuka. It needs time to work on a solution to the potential dangers of high closing speeds, and it is all the more fortunate it will not race at Jeddah next week, where the risk of another such collision would have been high.

Six years ago the F1 calendar was at risk of being decimated by Covid. But losing just two out of 24 rounds is tolerable, and the timing could not be better.

Against

Two first-time points leaders have headed the standings over the opening three rounds. Mercedes are the team to beat but Ferrari and McLaren have been in the mix and the latter could have won the last round. But now the whole contest is, frustratingly, on hold.

The cancellations were inevitable weeks before they were announced. F1 should have replaced the two lost April rounds to preserve the fairness of the competition. The teams that began the season well are disadvantaged by the loss of these events.

I say

I don’t imagine anyone would want to see races called off for the reasons the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds have been cancelled. But the reasons for this are not in F1’s control.

Ordinarily it would never occur to me to ask a site read by motorsport fans whether they are pleased two rounds are not going ahead. But these are peculiar circumstances.

It’s clear that F1 started 2026 with a regulations package which is deeply flawed. The safety concerns are obvious, qualifying is a disgrace and the racing little better (though some in F1 either believe otherwise or are eager to preserve their advantage by blocking changes to it).

If F1 can emerge from this five-week gap having at least addressed the drivers’ safety concerns, that’s a price worth paying for losing two rounds.

You say

Are you disappointed by the lack of racing in April? Should F1 have replaced its two lost races? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.

Do you agree the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix is a disappointment?

  • No opinion (4%)
  • Strongly disagree (39%)
  • Slightly disagree (14%)
  • Neither agree nor disagree (13%)
  • Slightly agree (17%)
  • Strongly agree (13%)

Total Voters: 83

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Keith Collantine

Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 – when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring journalist, Keith began running the site full-time in 2010, achieving a long-held ambition to dedicate his full attention to his passion for motor racing. View all posts by Keith Collantine