As the Middle East war that began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran spreads to neighboring countries, the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain grands prix of the Formula One (F1) auto racing series scheduled for next month have been canceled.
According to Reuters on the 14th (local time), F1 and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced the cancellation of the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain grands prix in a statement that day. The Bahrain and Saudi grands prix had been scheduled for Apr. 12 and Apr. 19, respectively.
Stefano Domenicali, F1 chief executive officer (CEO), said, "It was a difficult decision, but given the current situation in the Middle East, unfortunately it is the right decision for now." Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president, said, "The FIA always puts the safety and well-being of our community and colleagues first."
With the Middle East war continuing for more than two weeks, major airports and civilian facilities in Middle Eastern countries have also been hit, making it difficult to bring in equipment and freight needed for F1 races. It is known that to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix as scheduled, related items must arrive by the 20th.
With the two countries' races canceled, the total number of races in this year's F1 season is expected to drop from 24 to 22. The FIA said it reviewed several alternative venues but ultimately decided not to hold races in April.
Financial damage from the F1 race cancellations is also unavoidable. The Bahrain Grand Prix hosting expense is $45 million (about 67.4 billion won), and the Saudi Arabia event hosting expense is estimated to be higher.
In particular, in Saudi Arabia, state oil company Aramco is the title sponsor of the F1 Aston Martin team, and Bahrain's sovereign wealth funds Mumtalakat owns the F1 McLaren team, among other sizable investments across the championship.
The F1 Bahrain Grand Prix was also canceled in 2011 due to the aftermath of anti-government protests.