The world of motorsport is experiencing a highly unusual April, with a war between the United States, Israel, and Iran forcing major championships to cancel or postpone scheduled races in the Middle East. The two biggest series—Formula 1 and MotoGP—have seen their plans disrupted, but other categories are stepping up to fill the void.
Formula 1 now has an entirely empty April. Its original calendar included back-to-back grands prix in Bahrain (April 10-12) and Saudi Arabia (April 17-19), but both were canceled, reducing the season to 22 races. This leaves a four-week gap between Japan and Miami (May 1-3), giving teams time to work in their factories—and to formulate a response to growing criticism.
MotoGP has been less severely impacted. Only the Qatar Grand Prix (scheduled for April 10-12) was affected, and instead of being canceled outright, it has been postponed to the end of the season (November 6-8). Better yet, MotoGP will still race in April, with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez (April 24-26) set to draw a passionate home crowd.
So what races will save April? Several top-tier championships will provide action each week. In the four-wheel category, the World Rally Championship has two rounds: next week in Croatia and the season finale in the Canary Islands (April 24-26), where Dani Sordo returns in his Hyundai. The World Endurance Championship finally kicks off its delayed season with the 6 Hours of Imola on April 19, after Qatar was the first motorsport event to be suspended.
For single-seater fans, IndyCar comes to the rescue with its fifth round at Long Beach on April 19, a track known for spectacular racing. Alex Palou arrives there on a high after winning in Barber, now just four points behind leader Kirkwood. Meanwhile, Formula E will not race in April, but that’s by design—its schedule already had a five-week break between Madrid and a double-header in Berlin on May 2-3.
Motorcycle racing, however, is plentiful. The World Superbike Championship heads to Assen for its third round (April 17-19), featuring the Women’s World Championship. MXGP visits Italy for rounds in Sardinia (April 12) and Trentino (April 19). X-Trial closes its indoor season in Tarragona, where Toni Bou claimed his 39th world title (18th indoors). And Jorge Prado has no free weekends, with Pro Motocross races every Saturday in St. Louis, Nashville, Cleveland, and Philadelphia.
While some major events are missing, April will not be as desolate as it first seemed for motorsport lovers.
