c/formula1 · by hsr@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 166d

F1 set to cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to war in Middle East as 2026 calendar to drop to 22 races

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/33694/13519254/f1-set-to-cancel-bahrain-and-saudi-arabian-grands-prix-due-to-war-in-middle-east-as-2026-calendar-to-drop-to-22-races

73 points · 19 comments · view on lemmy.world

19 Comments

Coelacanth@feddit.nu · 15 pts · 166d

Should have listened to Brad Pitt and built the cars for combat...

ninth_plane@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 166d (1 reply)

there will be a five-week gap in the schedule between the Japanese Grand Prix, the season's third round, on March 27-29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 1-3.

Isn't Miami also involved in an international war?

Man_kind@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 165d

It is, but they dont consider it a threat of being bombed.

However, I personally am.not sure it is safe from terrorist attacks. F1 might be logistically difficult for that though. Its not in a building, things are spread apart, and so on. But it would still have major news coverage.

BlackEco@lemmy.blackeco.com · 11 pts · 166d

This means no GP for the entire month of April

dotCody@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 166d (1 reply)

Make it a PERMANENT cancelation and ill be sooooo happy!!!

anomnom@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 166d

I miss having the “Dakar” in regular countries instead of one rich kingdom. Sportswashing makes it all so fucking boring.

ZoteTheMighty@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 166d (1 reply)

Ironically, with the fuel shortage, F1's pivot to synthetic fuel is a far smaller increase in cost than they forecasted.

excral@feddit.org · 3 pts · 165d

To be fair, the fuel used by the cars is only a small fraction of the overall fuel and energy usage of F1. The far bigger share is logistics

Jhex@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 166d (1 reply)

and that is just the first to be cancelled...

The USA just provided motivation for a couple of generations of terrorism; and that is not even counting on their own domestic issues. Who the hell would want to (or be able to afford) traveling anywhere for an entertainment event that could be an easy target for a terrorist attack or ICE presence?

BowtiesAreCool@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 166d

And most of Europe including the “home of motorsport” UK completely allowed the attacks on Iran and even allowed use of their bases. Many agree with it.

I’m 100% for cancelling US races for these reasons btw.

calamitycastle@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 166d (1 reply)

Would be a nice opportunity to go to Sepang or Thailand finally but I appreciate it's not very realistical. Baku, Qatar, Abu Dhabi presumably also at risk at the other end of the calendar.

SlurpingPus@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 166d

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BananaIsABerry@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 166d

I'm a bit disappointed they didn't pull in some of the other tracks that aren't currently in the rotation to replace them.

rosco385@lemmy.wtf · 2 pts · 166d (1 reply)

We should take this opportunity to make further changes to F1 in order to future proof the competiton and ensure strong ongoing fan interest:

Every race changed to long distance endurance events on all street tracks
No regulations on the cars at all
No restrictions on team's funding sources in order to develop the cars and compensate team members
Each team's drivers (max. 2, with 2 reserves) must be extremely well compensated. So.much so that they all have the top personal wealth figures on their teams
The drivers of the last placed team at the end of each season are killed

Also, the “F" in F1 stands for "final" now... Final 1...

anomnom@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 166d

This sounds like Clarksons plans for F1

TheWeirdestCunt@lemmy.today · -8 pts · 166d (4 replies)

Why cancel the Saudi GP though? Saudi wasn't attacked and even if it was Jeddah is on the opposite side of the country. When the initial strikes happened all the diverted flights were going into Jeddah because it was a safe option.

ohulancutash@feddit.uk · 9 pts · 166d (1 reply)

Iran did attack Riyadh. There’s no way F1 is taking thousands of people into a war zone. Jeddah is well within range.

AltoCuddle@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 166d

I fear they would if they were given enough money.

Microw@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 166d

The Houthis could join the war any day, and they already tried to strike during an F1 weekend to humiliate Aramco already in the past

DrDickHandler@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 165d

Yikes. My guy is clueless.