F1 teams face unexpected fallout after Bahrain and Saudi GPs are cancelled

What had been expected for some time was officially confirmed during the race weekend in Shanghai: due to the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been cancelled.

Logically, this has financial consequences and logistical implications for the teams, particularly as part of the teams’ freight and paddock gear is still in Bahrain after winter testing. But beyond the logistical impact, it also affects several sporting aspects.

More time, but also more costs? The effect on upgrade plans

First of all, the changed schedule affects the upgrade plans of several teams. That is always the case when the calendar is adjusted, but this year even more so than usual. Under the new regulations this season will be a huge development race, with teams needing to plan their upgrades carefully.

Two factors make this particularly complex and explain why teams have different plans. Some outfits already had new parts in the pipeline for the early fly-away races, while others wanted to wait for the first few race weekends to gain a clearer picture—especially because the biggest gains at the moment lie in understanding the power unit and optimising energy management.

“I think we’ve probably not even spoken about the car that much, because we’re so focused on how to get the most out of the power unit,” Oscar Piastri said in China.

Besides the strong focus on the power unit, teams must also carefully plan their upgrades because of the budget cap. Alpine’s managing director Steve Nielsen explained that the travel costs of introducing new parts are now an important part of the equation.

“It’s the whole thing, even down to how expensive it is to ship the parts because that’s all in the cap. Five years ago, you didn’t look at that, but these cardboard boxes that we all trip over in the morning when you come into the paddock, they cost money to get here, and a lot. That’s all part of your spend. You quickly burn through your money if you neglect that stuff.”

It means teams must strike a balance between bringing performance gains to the track as quickly as possible and keeping the costs of new parts as low as possible.

“It’s a balance. If it’s 20 points of downforce, of course you’re going to fly it. If it’s minor, you’re not,” Nielsen added.

The cancellation of Bahrain is particularly relevant in that regard. Its location in the Middle East made it an attractive place for several teams to introduce upgrades after three distant fly-away races. On top of that, teams already have data from Bahrain thanks to winter testing. That comparative data could have been useful to evaluate the effect of new parts, meaning they would not have to rely entirely on the virtual world.

That option has now disappeared.

The updates that were planned for the Middle Eastern races must be pushed back to one of the following events on the American continent: in Miami or Montreal. One silver lining, however, is that it gives teams more time behind the scenes, and according to several team principals that extra time is something all outfits can use under F1’s new ruleset.

ADUO system – when can Honda get additional upgrades?

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

A second factor concerns the safety net that has been included in the technical regulations for this year, more specifically for the internal combustion engine. The system for Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) gives manufacturers that are behind the chance to develop their ICE more than the rest of the pack.

The original idea was that the pure power of the internal combustion engine would be measured after every six races. Manufacturers that are between 2% and 4% behind the strongest combustion engine in the field receive one additional upgrade opportunity from the FIA. Those that are more than 4% down compared to the best ICE receive two additional upgrades.

Honda seemingly falls into the latter category — something Adrian Newey has already hinted at by saying the Japanese manufacturer needs to make a major step with its ICE power — although the cancellation of two races raises the question of when exactly that opportunity will arise.

In theory, the FIA has several options, with discussions behind the scenes still ongoing. If it keeps the six-race cycle strictly intact, it would mean that the first upgrade opportunity moves from after the Miami Grand Prix (initially race 6) to the Monaco Grand Prix. However, there are some ideas on the table to keep the first occasion around the first US race of the season.

When asked by Motorsport.com, the FIA said that potential solutions are currently under review. One option would be to divide the new calendar consisting of 22 races as evenly as possible into four segments, possibly by implementing calendar dates instead of specific races. A second option is to maintain the six-race cycle and simply shorten the first one.

In that regard, the FIA wants to discuss the proposals with all stakeholders, making the break between China and Japan a logical moment to finalise the decision on this front as well.

Compression ratio – fewer races ahead of the extra test

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

The final factor relates to the topic that has dominated the build-up to the 2026 F1 season: the compression ratio. The issue became political when Mercedes’ competitors caught wind that Toto Wolff’s team was able to comply with the 16:1 limit during static tests at ambient temperature, but could achieve a higher ratio when running.

In the end, the FIA found a middle ground by adding an additional compression ratio test from 1 June onwards at an engine temperature of 130 degrees Celsius. It is a classic F1 compromise. For Mercedes’ rivals there was something to gain from it, as the initial plan had been 1 August and the introduction was then brought forward. The fact that the proposal was approved unanimously confirms, however, that Mercedes could also live with it. That is because the retention of the cold test — alongside the hot one — was crucial for Mercedes.

The cancellation of the races in the Middle East means there will now only be five race weekends before the change instead of seven, including the events in Australia and China. It means Mercedes will have fewer opportunities to potentially benefit from the higher ratio than initially expected, although the picture is more nuanced than often described. It has easily been assumed that Mercedes can reach 18:1 on track, but in reality the figure is far more limited than that. The lap time gain therefore does not come close to the estimates made in some reports.

Based on the first races, the strength of the manufacturer with the three-pointed star is much more layered than the compression ratio alone, with the efficiency in deployment, the chassis, and the aero platform all playing a significant role. In the paddock it is even suggested that Mercedes may not need to homologate the engine again, which if the picture doesn’t change in the upcoming months, would indicate that no major hardware changes are required – and that would be in line with Wolff calling it “a storm in a teacup”.

The competitive picture may therefore not change dramatically, although Mercedes – just like all its competitors – will in essence have two race weekends fewer before having to comply with the new compression ratio test than initially expected.

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– The Motorsport.com Team

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: motorsport.com