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F2 and F3 determined to race in April if Middle East rounds are canceled
F2 and F3 are pursuing alternative venues to replace Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds amid escalating Middle East conflict, while F1 appears set to cancel its April races without replacement.
While Formula 1 braces for what appears to be an inevitable cancellation of its Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix in April, the sport's secondary series are demonstrating remarkable resilience by pursuing alternative venues to preserve their 2026 calendars.
The Middle East conflict, intensified by missile strikes between the United States, Israel, and Iran, has cast a shadow over motorsport's planned April doubleheader. F1 is reportedly set to abandon both races without replacement, effectively removing an entire month from its 2026 calendar. However, F2 and F3 have adopted a fundamentally different approach, actively working to relocate their support series events to alternative circuits.
Logistical choreography
According to Spanish motorsports publication SoyMotor, both series' equipment will remain in Australia for an additional week following the conclusion of the Melbourne Grand Prix, allowing FIA organizers to reconfigure logistics and identify viable replacement venues.
The logistical demands vary between series. Formula 3, which does not contest the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, requires a single replacement circuit for its Bahrain weekend of April 10-12. Formula 2, conversely, races at both Middle Eastern venues and must locate two replacement tracks across the two-week period.
The F1 contrast
The divergence in approach highlights a crucial distinction: while F1 appears resigned to cancellation without replacement — a decision that would reduce the 2026 calendar from 24 to 22 races — F2 and F3 are demonstrating commitment to maintaining their scheduled number of events. Early speculation surrounding Portimão and Imola as potential F1 replacement hosts has proven complicated, with Imola unsuitable due to hosting the FIA World Endurance Championship's season-opener on April 19th.
Precedent and uncertainty
The FIA has already postponed the WEC's Qatar 1812km, originally scheduled for March 26-28, serving as a cautionary precedent. Yet the governing body's statement emphasized that "safety and wellbeing will guide our decisions as we assess the forthcoming events".
No official confirmation has emerged regarding F1, FOM, or the FIA's final determination, though a decision appears imminent given freight transportation deadlines. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia continues negotiations to retain the Jeddah Corniche Street Circuit on the calendar, though sources indicate the races' fates remain inextricably linked.
The coming weeks will prove decisive for motorsport's April landscape, determining whether F2 and F3's contingency planning proves successful or whether the entire series faces disruption.