Formula 1 revenue falls 38% due to Middle East disruptions

Formula 1 revenue fell 38% in the second quarter of 2026, dropping to $764 million from $1.226 billion in the same period the previous year. Liberty Media attributed the decline primarily to a reduced race calendar, with only five races held during the quarter compared to nine in 2025.

Geopolitical instability in the Middle East led to the postponement of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Additionally, the Imola race was removed from the schedule, and the Japanese Grand Prix took place in the first quarter. While Malaysia was added to the calendar to compensate for the Bahrain rescheduling, the timing shift impacted quarterly revenue recognition.

Operating income saw a significant decrease, falling from $293 million to $73 million. The reduction in races also affected financial distributions to teams; payments for the first half of 2026 totaled $500 million, a $127 million decrease compared to the $627 million distributed during the same period in 2025.