Sports
F1 cancels Bahrain, Saudi Arabia GPs in April over Iran war
Formula One said Saturday that the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will not be held in April because of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The announcement had been widely expected and the statement by the Liberty Media-owned sport and governing FIA, as well as local promoters, said the races will not be replaced on the calendar next month.
Sources have said they are also unlikely to be rescheduled for later in the year due to logistics and weather, although the statement did not explicitly rule that out, with the calendar set to be reduced from 24 to 22 races.
“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East,” said Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali.
Bahrain’s desert Sakhir circuit had been due to host the fourth round of the season on April 12, with Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche track following the weekend after.
Both races are floodlit and at night.
Freight deadline looming
U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are continuing while Iranian drones and missiles have hit Middle Eastern capitals, including Bahrain’s Manama, where team personnel would be staying in hotels.
Airports in the region have closed, including Manama, with Iran threatening to block the key trade route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Bahrain is also the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
The deadline for freight for the race to be sent to Bahrain was March 20, according to informed sources. Formula One is currently racing in Shanghai, China, with Japan next on the calendar on March 29.
Miami will now be the next round after that, on May 3, with a five-week gap. For some, such as struggling Aston Martin, that could be a welcome breathing space to improve their car.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said that while several alternative venues had been considered, it was ultimately decided to leave April blank.
It said the decision had been taken in full consultation with Liberty Media-owned Formula One, local promoters and FIA member clubs.
Formula Two, Formula Three and the all-female F1 Academy rounds scheduled for the Middle Eastern races will also not go ahead there.
“The FIA will always place the safety and wellbeing of our community and colleagues first,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who comes from the United Arab Emirates, in the statement.
“After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind. We continue to hope for calm, safety and a swift return to stability in the region,” he added.
“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.”
The two races are major contributors to Formula One’s balance sheet and team finances, with Bahrain’s hosting fees alone estimated at around $45 million a year and Saudi Arabia’s likely to be higher.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday knocked out Bayern Munich with a controversial 1-1 draw in their semi-final second leg that sealed a 6-5 aggregate victory and the Champions League final against Arsenal.
PSG exploded on the counter less than three minutes in and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele put Luis Enrique’s visitors ahead on the night and two goals up in the tie.
PSG largely succeeded in subduing Bayern’s attacking threat, despite Harry Kane’s stoppage-time goal.
On their return to Munich’s Allianz Arena, the scene of their greatest triumph against Inter Milan in last year’s final, PSG once again emphasized their excellence in a competition they coveted without success for so long.
The French giants will be favorites to lift the trophy for a second successive season when they face Premier League leaders Arsenal on May 30 in Budapest.
The French giants are hoping to become only the second back-to-back winners since 1990, after Real Madrid.
Bayern were angered by some first-half refereeing decisions but were largely toothless in attack.
The six-time European champions have still not reached the final since beating PSG in the 2020 showpiece in Lisbon.
Both sides were playing their 52nd match of the season in all competitions, not even counting last summer’s Club World Cup. but only the hosts looked weary.
So dangerous in the first leg, Bayern were surprisingly stodgy in attack, with Michael Olise in particular having an off night.
In the midst of a record-breaking season, Bayern’s fourth defeat in all competitions will sting for a club set to wonder what might have been.
Dembele scores early
With Bayern already Bundesliga champions and PSG also on track for the Ligue 1 title, both sides heavily rotated their line-ups in the weekend’s league fixtures.
But both teams only made one change to their starting XIs compared to last week’s spectacle in Paris. Only PSG’s was forced, with Fabian Ruiz in for the injured Achraf Hakimi.
The high-octane first leg, won 5-4 by PSG, was widely lauded as among the best matches in the competition’s history and Wednesday’s game offered more of the same early.
Ruiz, starting his first European match since January, set Khvicha Kvaratskhelia down the left flank with an excellent through ball.
The Georgian latched onto the pass, blazed past his marker before cutting back for the perfectly placed Dembele to slam home.
Bayern conceded after just 36 seconds against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and fought back to win but seemed stunned by the early goal this time around.
Olise, Kane and Joshua Kimmich all mislaid passes in the opening half-hour, ending promising attacks.
Bayern surrounded referee Joao Pinheiro claiming a penalty on the half-hour mark when Vitinha’s clearance hit Joao Neves’s outstretched arm in the box, but their appeals were waved away.
The home players had already been left incensed when PSG full-back Nuno Mendes was not shown a second yellow card for handball.
PSG went inches from scoring a second but Manuel Neuer tipped a close-range Neves header just wide of the post.
The home team rediscovered their rhythm just before the break, with Jamal Musiala forcing an excellent low save from PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov and blasting over the bar.
PSG showed a more measured side to their game in the second half, sitting back to absorb Bayern pressure while never losing their own threat on the counter.
Neuer made fine second-half saves from Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue to keep Bayern in the tie.
The Bavarians dominated possession and territory but could not break through until Kane scored for a seventh straight Champions League match in stoppage time.
There was time for the restart, but it was too little, too late for the hosts.
The Europa League semifinals reach their decisive night on Thursday, with four teams chasing two places in the final and little separating them after tense first-leg encounters.
At Villa Park, Aston Villa return home needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Nottingham Forest in an all-English showdown that has tilted delicately in the visitors’ favor. The winner will advance to the final in Istanbul later this month, where either Braga or Freiburg await.
Villa’s European story has been steadily building. After a Conference League semifinal in 2024 and a Champions League quarterfinal last season, this campaign offers a chance to reach their first continental final since lifting the European Cup in 1982.
To do so, Unai Emery’s side must respond after a flat first-leg display settled by Chris Wood’s penalty, awarded following a handball by Lucas Digne.
Recent domestic form raises questions.
Villa have lost three straight league games, including a subdued defeat to Tottenham that exposed the limits of squad rotation.
Yet Europe tells a different story. Nine consecutive home wins in continental competition, along with a near-constant scoring run, reinforce Villa Park’s reputation as a stronghold. Emery’s track record only adds weight.
The four-time Europa League winner has not lost a two-legged tie in this competition for more than a decade, progressing through 22 straight matchups.
History also leans Villa’s way. They are unbeaten in their last 10 home games against Forest, a run stretching back to 1994. But this version of Forest arrives transformed.
Since Vitor Pereira took charge in February, Forest have surged into form, stringing together a 10-game unbeaten run that has lifted them clear of relegation trouble and into genuine contention for a European final. Their latest statement came in a 3-0 win over Chelsea, where Taiwo Awoniyi struck twice around a penalty from Igor Jesus.
Pereira has already guided Forest past Fenerbahce, Midtjylland and Porto to reach their first European semifinal in over four decades. Their pedigree remains strong. Forest have won two European Cups and rarely falter after taking a first-leg lead, losing just once in their last 13 such ties.
Villa will turn to Ollie Watkins to lead the response, supported by the in-form Morgan Rogers, who has been directly involved in five goals in six home games in this competition. John McGinn is expected back, while injuries continue to limit options in midfield.
Forest’s attacking threat remains sharp, with Igor Jesus leading the competition in away goal involvement and total shots. Wood is set to spearhead the attack again, while concerns linger over Morgan Gibbs-White after a heavy collision last weekend.
Elsewhere, the tie between Freiburg and Braga remains finely poised, though the German side must overturn a 2-1 deficit after conceding a stoppage-time winner in Portugal. Mario Dorgeles struck late to hand Braga control, canceling out earlier efforts from Vincenzo Grifo and Demir Ege Tıknaz.
For Freiburg, the path is clear but demanding. Their domestic campaign has faded, leaving the Europa League as their only route back into elite European competition. Encouragingly, they return to a venue where they have won 10 straight continental matches, scoring freely and conceding little.
Julian Schuster’s side halted a losing streak with a weekend draw, but injuries continue to mount, including a significant blow with Yuito Suzuki ruled out.
Braga arrive with belief, even if recent form has been uneven. Carlos Vicens’s team have lost just once in nine matches and boast a strong Europa League record, losing only twice in their last 20 games in the competition. Their composure under pressure was evident in the previous round, where they overturned a deficit against Real Betis.
However, the visitors are also stretched. Captain Ricardo Horta remains sidelined, joining a growing list of absentees that could test their depth in a high-stakes away leg.
Dursun Özbek is closing in on a place just beneath club founder Ali Sami Yen in the history of Galatasaray, with another term set to turn a successful presidency into a defining era.
The 75-year-old will stand unopposed at the May 23 general assembly, effectively clearing the path for a fourth spell in charge.
If he completes the next two-year mandate, Özbek will become the second-longest-serving president in the club’s 121-year history.
Only Ali Sami Yen, who led Galatasaray for nearly 14 years, would remain ahead of him.
Özbek currently sits fifth on that list, having already accumulated roughly six years and seven months in office, but the gap above him is now within reach.
Longevity, though, is only part of the story. Özbek’s presidency has been defined by sustained success across multiple fronts, with football providing the clearest measure of his impact.
His first term began in May 2015, when he succeeded Duygun Yarsuvat.
Within 48 hours, Galatasaray secured the Süper Lig title, handing Özbek an immediate boost.
That opening spell delivered five football trophies in total, including two Turkish Cups and two Super Cups, establishing early momentum even as the club navigated financial and structural challenges.
His return to power in June 2022 marked a turning point. Galatasaray re-emerged as the dominant force in Turkish football, winning three Süper Lig titles in quick succession, including back-to-back championships that underlined both squad depth and administrative stability.
A Turkish Cup and a Super Cup followed, pushing Özbek’s football haul to 10 trophies across his three terms.
That tally places him second in club history behind Faruk Süren, whose presidency between 1996 and 2001 yielded 14 trophies, including European silverware.
Özbek’s influence extends beyond football. During his first term, Galatasaray’s men’s basketball team, led by Ergin Ataman, captured the 2016 EuroCup, the club’s first major European title in that discipline.
Years later, the women’s volleyball team added a CEV Cup triumph, completing a rare achievement.
Under Özbek, Galatasaray became the only Turkish club to win European trophies in football, basketball and volleyball, a milestone that reflects a broader sporting vision.
Financial restructuring has been another pillar of his leadership.
Özbek has leaned heavily on real estate development to generate revenue and ease the club’s long-standing economic pressures.
The Riva “Düşler Vadisi” project alone has already produced substantial income, with projections suggesting total returns could approach $400 million once all phases are completed.
Similar revenue-sharing models in Florya and redevelopment efforts in Mecidiyeköy have further strengthened the club’s financial base, turning land assets into long-term income streams.
At the same time, Özbek has pushed forward with infrastructure projects aimed at modernizing the club’s sporting environment.
The Kemerburgaz Metin Oktay Facilities represent a significant upgrade for the football team, with the first phase completed and additional sections planned for youth development and the women’s side.
The ambitious Aslantepe Valley project, meanwhile, is designed to support amateur branches and expand Galatasaray’s operational capacity, with a large-scale complex expected to take shape over the next few years.
There is also the prospect of further silverware.
A win in an upcoming league fixture could deliver Özbek a fifth Süper Lig title as president and an 11th football trophy overall, tightening his grip on second place in the club’s all-time rankings.
Fenerbahçe’s former president, Aziz Yıldırım, has formally declared his candidacy for the club’s top office, setting the stage for a high-stakes extraordinary general assembly on June 6-7, 2026, in a move that immediately reshapes the club’s political and sporting landscape.
In a written statement shared through Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday, Yıldırım framed his return as a duty-driven response to internal instability and growing pressure from supporters.
He described the moment as pivotal, linking his candidacy to Fenerbahçe’s upcoming 120th anniversary season, which he portrayed as both a symbolic milestone and a rare opportunity for institutional reset.
Call for unity
At the heart of Yıldırım’s message was a direct appeal for consolidation across competing camps.
He urged unity not only among supporters but also among rival candidates already in the race, including Barış Göktürk and Hakan Safi, as well as other expected contenders.
Rather than framing the contest as a political showdown, Yıldırım positioned it as a moment that demands cooperation.
He argued that Fenerbahçe’s future cannot be shaped by division, insisting that the club’s challenges require a blend of institutional experience and younger leadership energy. His message reflected an attempt to soften the tone of an already crowded and competitive election, which is expected to draw over 25,000 voting members.
Long legacy
Yıldırım’s candidacy carries significant historical weight.
He led Fenerbahçe from 1998 to 2018, one of the longest presidencies in Turkish sports history, overseeing a period marked by both sporting success and deep institutional transformation.
During his tenure, the club expanded its commercial structure, modernized infrastructure, and strengthened its financial base.
These years also included intense European campaigns and domestic title races that helped shape Fenerbahçe’s modern identity.
However, his presidency was also closely associated with one of Turkish football’s most controversial episodes, the 2011 match-fixing investigation known as the “3 July process.”
Yıldırım and several club officials were implicated during the proceedings, though they were later acquitted in retrials, a legal arc that continues to influence public perception of his legacy.
Return shaped by recent turbulence
Yıldırım’s latest move follows a series of recent political and symbolic reappearances within the club structure.
In 2024, he re-entered the presidential race in a highly watched contest against current leadership figures, and in 2025 he publicly supported the idea of generational transition, suggesting younger leadership should take a greater role in shaping the club’s future.
His 2026 return, however, signals a shift in tone.
Rather than stepping back, he now argues that stability and experience are urgently needed, particularly as Fenerbahçe continues to struggle with a prolonged Süper Lig title drought dating back to 2014 and increasing financial pressure across its multi-sport structure.
Turning point
The election itself was triggered after former president Sadettin Saran called for an extraordinary general assembly following a series of disappointing results, including a heavy derby defeat to Galatasaray.
Saran later confirmed he would not seek re-election, leaving the race open and intensifying competition among potential successors.
The timing is especially significant.
Fenerbahçe are entering a decisive phase not only in football but across basketball and other sporting departments, while also navigating financial obligations and long-term strategic planning.
Decisions made by the incoming leadership will influence European competition ambitions, squad planning, and structural reforms.
Experience and reconciliation
Yıldırım’s statement attempted to position him as both a stabilizing figure and a unifying force.
He repeatedly emphasized that Fenerbahçe’s strength has historically come from cohesion, not fragmentation, and suggested that the club’s next chapter should not be defined by internal rivalry.
By extending an open invitation to rivals and potential challengers, he reframed the election as a collective project rather than a winner-takes-all contest.
Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez has pushed her career to a new peak, climbing to No. 65 in the latest WTA rankings released May 4, a rise fueled by a composed and competitive run at the Madrid Open.
The 24-year-old from Istanbul carried momentum onto the clay in Spain, reaching the third round of the WTA 1000 event with two measured wins.
She opened by dispatching Spanish wild card Carlota Martinez Cirez in straight sets, then showed resilience to outlast 27th seed Cristina Bucsa in a three-set battle that underlined her growing confidence at elite level.
Her run ended against Argentina’s Solana Sierra, but the damage had already been done in the rankings.
Those results added crucial points to a season that continues to trend upward.
Sönmez had already been flirting with a personal best earlier this spring, and Madrid provided the final push.
Her 2026 campaign now stands at 15 wins against 10 losses, with earnings nearing half a million dollars for the year and more than $1.7 million across her career.
Sönmez’s rise has been steady rather than sudden.
Since turning professional in her mid-teens, she has built her game through the ITF circuit before translating that consistency onto the WTA Tour.
The breakthrough came in 2024 with her maiden WTA title in Merida, followed by a landmark run to the third round of the 2026 Australian Open as a qualifier.
Earlier this year, she also secured the first Top 10 victory of her career, another signal of her upward trajectory.
Her latest ranking places her within striking distance of Turkish history.
Çağla Büyükakçay remains the benchmark with a career-high of No. 60, set in 2016, a mark that once defined the ceiling for Turkish women’s tennis.
Now, Sönmez is closing in, carrying the weight of expectation while expanding the horizon.
More importantly, she has emerged as the country’s leading active player, combining baseline consistency with improved shot selection on both hard and clay courts.
That versatility was evident in Melbourne and Madrid, and it gives her a platform to sustain progress through the rest of the season.
Fenerbahçe Beko are one win from another EuroLeague Final Four, carrying a 2-0 lead into hostile territory as the series shifts to Kaunas for Game 3.
The Turkish champions face Zalgiris Kaunas on Wednesday night at Zalgirio Arena, with a place in the 2026 Final Four in Athens within reach.
Back-to-back wins in Istanbul, 89-78 and 86-74, have put Fenerbahçe firmly in control of the best-of-five quarterfinal, leaving Sarunas Jasikevicius’s side needing just one more push to seal an eighth appearance on Europe’s biggest stage.
The matchup arrived finely balanced on paper. Fenerbahçe finished fourth in the regular season at 24-14, just ahead of fifth-placed Zalgiris at 23-15.
Yet the opening two games told a different story. Fenerbahçe dictated tempo, tightened defensively, and found scoring depth across the roster.
Tarik Biberovic set the tone early with a standout Game 1 display, while experienced figures like Nicolo Melli steadied the team in Game 2.
Wade Baldwin IV, a constant offensive engine throughout the season, continued to orchestrate with composure, blending scoring and playmaking as Zalgiris struggled to contain the visitors’ balance.
History leans heavily in Fenerbahçe’s favor. They have been a fixture of the Final Four in recent years, reaching five straight editions from 2015 to 2019 before returning in 2024 and 2025. Titles in 2017 and 2025 underlined their pedigree, and another deep run now feels within touching distance.
Their head coach knows Kaunas better than most. Jasikevicius, a former Zalgiris icon, returns to a familiar arena seeking to close out his former club. His emphasis on defensive discipline and structured execution has defined this playoff run, with Fenerbahçe holding Zalgiris below their regular-season scoring rhythm.
That contrast is striking. Zalgiris entered the playoffs as one of the competition’s most potent offenses, averaging 87.6 points per game, compared to Fenerbahçe’s 81.9. They also moved the ball more fluidly, posting nearly 19.4 assists per contest. But through two games, those strengths have been muted.
Sylvain Francisco, their leading scorer, remains central to any comeback hopes, especially in front of one of Europe’s loudest home crowds. Zalgirio Arena has long been a proving ground, and Zalgiris will lean on that energy to extend the series and force a return to Istanbul.
The head-to-head record adds another layer. Fenerbahçe lead 23-13 across 36 EuroLeague meetings and have historically had the upper hand in playoff encounters, including a Final Four semifinal win in 2018 and a 3-1 series victory in 2019. Yet Zalgiris swept both regular-season meetings this year, a reminder that the margin is not as wide as the current series suggests.
Now the stakes sharpen. A Fenerbahçe win ends the contest and books their ticket to Athens, where the Final Four will be held from May 22 to 24. A Zalgiris response keeps their season alive and shifts the pressure back to Istanbul for Game 4.
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