A sudden escalation in the Middle East has forced Pirelli to cancel a planned F1 Tyre Test at the Bahrain International Circuit, disrupting preparations for the 2026 Formula 1 season and leaving team personnel stranded in the region.
The two-day development test, scheduled for Feb. 28 and March 1 in Bahrain, was called off after Iranian missile strikes targeted locations in the country, including a United States naval base. The incident triggered security concerns, halted air traffic, and raised new questions about the stability of upcoming Formula 1 events in the region.
Teams and staff involved in the test remain safe but unable to leave Bahrain due to closed airspace, while Formula 1 officials monitor the situation closely ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
What happened and why the test was cancelled
Pirelli had arranged an unusual wet-weather tyre test at the Bahrain International Circuit ahead of the 2026 season opener in Melbourne.
The F1 Tyre Test was set to simulate rain using track sprinklers. Mercedes and McLaren planned to run the programme to help Pirelli gather data on wet-weather compounds.
But the test never began.
Iranian missile strikes hit Bahrain late in February, targeting a U.S. naval base and a location in Juffair, an area widely used by Formula 1 teams during pre-season testing. The security situation forced organisers to act quickly.
According to The Race, Pirelli confirmed the cancellation in a statement. A company spokesperson said the development program had been called off “for security reasons following the evolving international situation.”
The spokesperson added that all Pirelli staff in Manama were safe in their hotels. The company is now working to return them to Italy and the United Kingdom.
Teams stranded, airspace closed
The crisis quickly turned into a logistical problem for the teams involved.
Mercedes, McLaren and Pirelli began efforts to evacuate their staff from Bahrain. Those efforts have so far failed because Bahrain closed its airspace after the missile strikes.
The shutdown halted air traffic across much of the surrounding region.
Sources told GPblog that getting team members home remains the top priority. The details of evacuation plans remain private for security reasons.
Teams also understand that helping Formula 1 personnel leave the country is not the immediate focus for local authorities.
All drivers and staff remain safe, though they must stay inside their hotels.
Nyck de Vries, who was due to drive for McLaren in the test, posted updates on social media showing himself training in the gym during the unexpected delay.
No one knows when flights will resume.
The report also mentioned several Middle Eastern media outlets reporting that air travel may not restart until March 7 at the earliest, though that timeline remains uncertain.
Impact on Australian Grand Prix travel
The disruption has also complicated travel plans for the Formula 1 paddock ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Many teams use the Middle East as a stopover when flying from the United Kingdom to Australia. With Bahrain’s airspace closed and restrictions affecting nearby regions, personnel have had to reroute their journeys.
Some people involved in the cancelled F1 Tyre Test are trying to return to Britain. Others are attempting to travel directly to Australia.
Formula 1 Management said there is still enough time to resolve the situation before teams must arrive in Melbourne.
Australian Grand Prix CEO Travis Auld moved quickly to calm concerns.
Speaking on the Today show from Albert Park, Auld said the race will go ahead as planned.
He told SpeedCafe that roughly 1,000 travelling personnel have already changed their flights to reach Australia.
“The events of the weekend have certainly meant there’s been some reshuffling of some travel plans,” Auld said. “But the Formula 1 organisation are very good at moving people around the world.”
Auld confirmed that freight has already arrived in Melbourne and that key race staff have been prioritised for new flights.
“The drivers will be here. The engineers will be here. The team principals will be here,” he added. “The cars are all sitting on the main straight now in containers and ready to be put in the garages.”
F1 and FIA monitoring upcoming race calendar
The security crisis also casts doubt over two races scheduled in the Middle East later in the 2026 season.
Bahrain is due to host the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 12. Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah street circuit will stage the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix one week later on April 19.
Both countries have faced missile attacks and currently have restricted airspace.
Formula 1 Management released a short statement addressing the issue, Crash.net reported. Officials said the next three races: in Australia, China and Japan, will take place outside the Middle East and are still weeks away.
The organisation said it is monitoring the situation and working with relevant authorities.
Teams would normally arrive in Bahrain about one week before the April race. That leaves roughly five weeks for the security situation to stabilise.
For now, the cancelled F1 Tyre Test stands as the first clear sporting impact of the crisis.
For Pirelli, the lost track time means missing valuable data for wet-weather tyres ahead of a new regulatory era in Formula 1.
But across the paddock, the priority remains clear: ensuring that every driver, engineer and staff member gets home safely.
