The two races were set to be the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2026 Formula One World Championship, running across the weekends of 10–12 April and 17–19 April 2026. Both circuits had been contracted to host Formula One events in the 2026 season.
Going into the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli led the Drivers' Championship with 72 points, having won the previous race at Suzuka. His teammate George Russell lay nine points behind in second place, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc a further fourteen points adrift in third. Mercedes also led the Constructors' Championship with 135 points, 45 ahead of Ferrari and 90 clear of McLaren.
On 28 February 2026, the Iran war broke out following targeted airstrikes by Israel and the United States. Iran retaliated with counterattacks against American military bases across the Middle East, including installations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — all of which host Formula One Grands Prix. In the immediate aftermath, Pirelli cancelled planned tyre tests at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The FIA monitored the developing situation closely, prioritising the safety of drivers, team personnel, and race staff. Earlier in March, the governing body postponed the Qatar 1812 km — the opening round of the World Endurance Championship — to October, with Imola taking its place as the season opener for that series. The FIA explored potential replacement venues for both Formula One races, including a return to Imola and the recently contracted Portuguese Grand Prix circuit. However, because the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds were scheduled so early in the season, replacements could not be arranged on short notice.
On 14 March 2026, Formula One officially announced the cancellation of both Grands Prix, citing the safety of all personnel as the primary reason. The Formula 2, Formula 3, and F1 Academy support races were also cancelled as a consequence, and replacement fixtures for the feeder championships were later scheduled at alternative venues.
The cancellations created an unexpected month-long gap in the Formula One calendar between the Japanese Grand Prix and the Miami Grand Prix. Formula One leadership, the FIA, and power unit manufacturers used this enforced break to address a technical concern that had been raised by drivers ahead of the cancelled rounds.
Drivers had expressed concern about the 2026 power unit regulations, particularly regarding a phenomenon known as "super clipping" — a situation in which the battery charges under full throttle against the engine, occurring most notably during heavy impacts. The issue had surfaced at the previous Grand Prix. During the break, the parties reached an agreement on a set of regulation changes intended to mitigate the problem, with the modifications debuting at the Miami Grand Prix once the season resumed.
The standings that would have applied at the start of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend carried forward unchanged into the Miami Grand Prix. Antonelli retained his lead, with the points gap to Russell and Leclerc unchanged from Suzuka. Mercedes held the Constructors' lead over Ferrari by 45 points, with McLaren third a further 45 points back.
The cancellations drew comparisons to previous disruptions to the Formula One calendar: the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was cancelled due to the Arab Spring; the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, abandoned at the circuit gate due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, cancelled after severe regional flooding.