Two (Empty) Garages and Zero Time: Why Replacing Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Is Impossible

The Formula One races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are officially cancelled. It’s certainly something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, as only rarely has Formula One stricken already-scheduled races from the calendar. Even during politically turbulent moments in the sport’s history, cancellations tend to be the exception rather than the rule.

But this time, it’s different. Tensions in the Middle East continue to climb as the United States increases its military presence and response in Iran. Iran is responding by striking other countries in the region, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. That, in turn, is making security and travel logistics for teams and personnel increasingly unsafe.

And F1 isn’t alone in making changes. The FIA World Endurance Championship is indefinitely postponing its race in Qatar, which was originally the opening round. MotoGP has also postponed its Qatari race, moving it from its originally scheduled April dates to November.

Not everyone is happy about a month without F1. Some people on social media have even offered alternatives. Maybe Imola or Malaysia can return to the calendar. Or how about Portimão in Portugal? It’s already coming back next season. Perhaps they can just run a double-header in Suzuka to bridge one of the gaps. Or maybe they can even go back to Australia for a second run! The possibilities are endless!

While these ideas are creative, it must be understood that simply replacing a race on the calendar is almost impossible. It’s not because Formula One Management is incompetent or afraid of change, but rather because of the very logistics that make Formula One possible in the first place.

Let’s start with the basics— how much equipment does each team have, and how does one bring it from point A to point B within a week? One YouTuber made a whole video about it once, but that was at least seven years and two regulation changes ago. How are the numbers looking now?

A DHL article from October 2025 states that up to 1,200 metric tons (roughly 1322.774 US tons) of equipment are transported per race. That cargo isn’t just the cars and what keeps them running. It also includes broadcast equipment, pit-wall electronics (fun fact: those DON’T come with the circuit), and even hospitality units. Individual teams themselves carry about 44-55 metric tons (48.5-60.7 US tons) of equipment, at least according to an older DHL breakdown. Multiply that across the entire paddock, and the scale of the operation becomes clear.

So how does all that equipment move around? It depends on what, exactly, it is. The heaviest, least essential stuff typically travels on ocean freight, with teams sending five or six identical sets around the globe. Think garage infrastructure, hospitality equipment, and anything else that isn’t an immediate concern for the pit crew. The more essential equipment, like the cars themselves, travels from track to track by plane. Teams unpack everything at the start of a race week, then pack everything back up once the champagne is sprayed to send off to the next destination.

It’s a delicate process that requires plenty of planning to pull off. In fact, the 2025 DHL breakdown says it started mapping freight routes and transport schedules for each season about a year in advance. It’s not surprising; trying to coordinate a full racing season from land, sea, and air across five continents seems like no easy feat.

And that, in turn, is why simply moving an F1 race somewhere else is near-impossible. When you plan your entire logistics chain that far out, you can’t just reroute a freight ship to another part of the globe. Not to mention that cargo flights are usually booked ahead of time, and teams themselves schedule their travel over the same timeline. With so many simultaneous moving parts, a single glitch can wreak havoc on a team.

In fact, several teams lost about 30 hours of preparation time in last year’s Chinese Grand Prix amid a mere freight delay. That’s 30 fewer hours to inspect the cars, assemble the garage, and make sure everything is ready for the weekend. And this was a planned transport; a simple move from Melbourne to Shanghai in the opening rounds. Imagine the nightmare that could come with suddenly moving a race location.

It’s not just equipment that keeps F1 from moving races. Race circuits themselves have to meet strict FIA guidelines before they can host a Grand Prix. Fewer than 40 tracks in the world hold an FIA Grade One Certification, which is required to host a Formula One race. These tracks meet rigorous safety standards that cover everything from barrier design to medical facilities.

And even among those circuits, it’s difficult to arrange a last-minute race. A single race weekend requires thousands of personnel to operate, beyond the teams racing. Track marshals, medics, broadcast crew, even sanitation services… it all has to be in place before a car takes to the track. I couldn’t find a specific metric on how many staffers are on the track for any given race weekend, but here are some numbers to give you perspective:

That’s before you factor in general admission and the FIA officials overseeing the event itself. When you add it all up, even core race operations require well over a thousand people who need to be trained and in place before the lights go out.

And unlike air freight, you can’t ship trained volunteers across the world overnight.

What happens now? Nothing, to put it bluntly. The F1 calendar now has two April gaps where races were scheduled, and the logistics to replace them are unavailable.

And yes, it’s a frustrating reality. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds are notorious for setting the championship tone, showing who its leaders might be before the circus lands in North America. Hell, I don’t feel happy about having to put my lazy race recaps on hold for a month now because the races aren't happening.

But the sport will survive. It has survived far worse— the 2011 Season opening round’s postponement (and eventual cancellation) due to the Arab Spring, the reduced 2020 season amidst the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic… not to mention the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which went on even after a missile struck near the Jeddah circuit during race weekend itself.

My point is—this isn’t new territory. Formula One has always existed alongside sore spots in world history, but has always made its way back again to the grid. We might only have one more race in the near future, but the cars will be back in May.

Until then, a gap is just a gap.

That’s all for now. See you next week for Suzuka.

-F