Big F1 worry: First 2027 race has a huge number of unsold tickets
Formula 1 has been growing stronger and more popular over the years, but recent conflicts in the Middle East have caused some trouble for the championship. One race in the region was cancelled, and another had to be moved to a country nearly four thousand miles away. Races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still uncertain.
Right now, lots of tickets for the season opener in Bahrain haven’t been sold yet, which is surprising given the high tensions and chances of violence in the area.
The 2026 F1 season has seen big disruptions because of these conflicts. In late February, the USA bombed Iran, and Iran responded by attacking Israel. Because of this, early races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were postponed. Bahrain found a replacement date by moving its later race to Malaysia, but Saudi Arabia’s race was cancelled altogether.
The situation remains tense, with Houthi rebels in Yemen attacking Saudi airports and even threatening to shoot down planes flying over their airspace. F1 is waiting to see if it’s safe to travel to Qatar and Abu Dhabi later in the season, but it seems those races will probably still happen. Still, many people involved in F1 aren’t comfortable traveling to the Middle East, especially with rumors that the USA might attack Iran again. Many fans also seem worried.
The Australian GP in Melbourne opened the season for the past two years, but Bahrain is supposed to take back the opening spot in 2027. However, ticket sales there aren’t looking great. Out of 50,000 grandstand tickets available, almost 64% are still up for grabs, which raises questions about how well-attended the race will be.
The Bahrain International Circuit has been offering discounts on tickets to encourage sales. The race is already the cheapest on the calendar, with three-day tickets originally starting at £98, and now the cheapest available for 2027 is £117.20.
The Bahrain circuit can hold up to 70,000 fans, but its highest attendance ever was just 37,700 in 2025. If the race happens this year, it probably won’t reach that number. In 2025, it had the lowest attendance of the year, with 105,000 people over three days, while the British GP had half a million fans across the weekend.
All in all, the ongoing conflicts are making it tough for Formula 1 in the Middle East, and it’s clear that many people—both inside and outside of the sport—are feeling uneasy about the situation.