RacingAlan Permane says Formula 1 teams would still come out millions down if the 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix are not restored, even with Racing Bulls avoiding the usual flyaway costs to Sakhir and Jeddah. The bigger hit, according to Permane and an Auto Motor und Sport analysis, is lost commercial income, with rising fuel and air-freight prices adding more pressure under the budget cap.
Permane, Racing Bulls team boss, told the press that “the cancellation of two Grands Prix has a significant impact on the teams’ budgets” while explaining the immediate budget effect of the suspended races. He said teams would save money if the events do not happen because “there will be no expenses for flights, hotels or freight transport,” but added that “the overall balance will still remain negative, and that is bad news.”
That gap could be large. Auto Motor und Sport reported in an analysis published on Wednesday that removing Bahrain and Saudi Arabia from the calendar would cut about €100 million from Formula 1 revenue. The magazine said that equals roughly 14% of the around €700 million contributed by race promoters. According to the same report, about half of that money is redistributed to the teams, so the loss could run to several million euros per team. The publication added that, once prize-money effects are included, the damage becomes “irreparable.”
Permane, Racing Bulls team boss, also told the press that teams still do not have exact figures for the full impact. He said, while discussing the longer-term cost picture, “We do not yet have precise numbers, but later in the season the costs will inevitably increase due to the rise in fuel prices.” He added: “Everyone’s fuel costs have already increased, and air travel will soon follow the same path.”
That matters because those costs do not sit outside the spending limit. Permane, Racing Bulls team boss, said in the same comments to the press that “all these expenses are included in the budget cap,” which means a wider rise in freight and travel costs would squeeze teams even if two race weekends disappear from the schedule.
F1 is still trying to keep its options open. Permane, Racing Bulls team chief, told the press that “we are monitoring the situation and we are very hopeful that there is a possibility of rescheduling one or both races later this year.” He also made clear that nothing has been settled. “We do not know anything yet,” he said. “Obviously, until the situation in the Middle East calms down, that will not happen. If it does happen, we could have a very busy end to the season.”
For now, Formula 1 is not forced to find replacements. Auto Motor und Sport reported that the calendar still stands at 22 Grands Prix, which is enough to satisfy current broadcaster commitments. But the publication also warned that pressure could rise if the conflict stretches into the end of the year, when the season is due to finish in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, two Middle Eastern countries it said had also been targeted earlier in the conflict.