All articles tagged with #bahrain
Bahrain pushed at the UN for a mandate to use all necessary means to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for international shipping, but the proposal drew opposition from several countries, highlighting global disagreements over how to safeguard this critical oil artery amid heightened regional tensions.
Formula 1 and the FIA say the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix will not take place in April due to safety concerns amid the Iran conflict, with no replacements planned and a five-week gap before the next race in Miami (May 3).
Formula 1 and the FIA announced the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April due to safety concerns linked to the Iran war and broader Middle East tensions, with no substitutions planned and a five-week gap before the next race in Miami.
Formula 1 canceled the April Grands Prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, with F2, F3, and F1 Academy rounds also scrapped; the 2026 season had begun in Melbourne in early March.
The 2026 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix have been canceled due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, scrapping the April races and creating a 35-day gap between the Japanese GP (March 29) and the Miami GP (May 3). The cancellations also extend to supporting events (F2, F3, and F1 Academy) with no substitutions planned, following a FIA decision made in consultation with Formula One Group and local promoters, potentially impacting teams financially and tightening the calendar.
Iran fires its strongest missile barrage since the conflict began, with Israel saying missiles were fired from Iran, Saudi Arabia intercepting drones headed for an oil field, and Bahrain sounding air-raid sirens. Trump warned of a military response “at a level never seen before” after the US said it destroyed more than a dozen Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and US Central Command later said 16 mine-laying vessels were eliminated, underscoring the risk to shipping and crude oil through the Strait.
Bapco Energies declared force majeure after an Iranian strike damaged Bahrain's Al-Ma'ameer refinery, suspending oil shipments and signaling wider Gulf energy disruption, with Bahrain insisting domestic demand can be met even as neighbouring Gulf states also invoke force majeure amid ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure.
Bahrain says Iran hit a desalination plant, raising fears that civilian infrastructure could be targeted amid a widening regional conflict that has already involved strikes on oil facilities, threats of retaliation from Tehran, and renewed fighting in Lebanon as Israel, backed by the U.S., continues its offensive.
Amid a widening Middle East war, Iran launched a drone attack that damaged Bahrain's desalination plant—the first reported strike on such critical water infrastructure by Iran—while the broader fighting included US-Israeli strikes on Tehran oil facilities, regional missile and drone exchanges, a sinking UAE tugboat in the Strait of Hormuz, explosions in Yazd, and multiple casualties and political statements.
AWS said drone strikes damaged three of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, causing fires, structural damage, power and water-related outages, and prompting fire suppression. Two UAE facilities were hit directly while a strike near a Bahrain facility caused outages; AWS is working to restore services and warns the Middle East operating environment remains volatile, advising customers to back up data and consider migrating workloads to other AWS regions.
In Bahrain, departure flights for military dependents are on hold after Iranian strikes on the U.S. Navy base and as U.S. forces conduct attacks on Iran; authorized departures remain possible but not mandatory, with shelter-in-place advisories and a plan for remote learning at base schools while the situation unfolds.
Charles Leclerc set the pace across the Bahrain pre-season testing with a 1:31.992 late lap, making him the fastest driver across all testing in Sakhir and beating Lando Norris by about 0.8s and Max Verstappen by about 1.1s as Ferrari showed strong pace. Day 3 results list Kimi Antonelli fastest on the day (1:33.669) ahead of George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Verstappen, while Aston Martin were hampered by battery issues and Lance Stroll did not post a time. The article also notes a RN365 podcast weighing Verstappen’s regulatory criticisms and whether F1 is facing an identity crisis.
Ferrari led the final day of Bahrain pre-season testing, with Leclerc delivering the fastest times and the Ferrari squad racking up heavy mileage (Leclerc around 132 laps, Sainz 141) as rookie Lindblad also posted massive run totals. Bearman briefly cracked the top five, while Aston Martin endured another tough session with Lance Stroll limited to few laps and Honda/Cadillac issues surfacing. The day featured several red flags and a reminder that testing times don’t guarantee race pace, but Ferrari exit Bahrain in strong spirits ahead of the season.
Lando Norris set the fastest lap on Day 2 of Bahrain F1 testing, while Lewis Hamilton managed only five laps after a Ferrari SF-26 issue sidelined the car for hours. Verstappen briefly led early in the Red Bull, and Ferrari drew attention with a new upside-down rear-wing upgrade as teams ran through the session ahead of the season.
RacingNews365 reports Ferrari’s Bahrain pre-season test featured a heavily upgraded SF‑26 aero package, including a rear‑exhaust flow device (FTM) and a gearbox redesigned to allow a cantilevered rear aero within the 60mm overhang limit; analysts say this regulatory constraint makes the upgrade effectively uncopyable for rivals, with Ferrari also showing a dramatic inverted rear‑wing in the same test.