MOTORSPORT – THE final two rounds of the 2025-26 Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East (PCCME) have been cancelled, championship organisers announced yesterday.
This follows the announcement of Formula One and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) that the F1 grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not be taking place as scheduled in April, due to the unfortunate events currently taking place across the region.
The fifth and penultimate round of this season’s PCCME was set to be held in support of the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 from April 10 to 12, while the championship finale was slated for the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend from April 17 to 19.
“While we are disappointed, we are also realistic in recognising that these events cannot take place as planned,” said an official statement published yesterday on social media by the PCCME, signed by series officials Robert Lechner, Walter Lechner, and Michael Schoch.
“We fully support and understand that this decision has been taken in regard to the current circumstances, with the safety and well-being of everyone involved remaining the highest priority.
“Following this confirmation, we will now proceed immediately with the necessary co-ordination and will contact the relevant stakeholders in due course.”
The PCCME is the region’s most prestigious one-make championship, born and based at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir and run by world-renowned racing company Lechner Racing.
The series is well-established as a proven path for regional drivers to accelerate their careers in the sport, and ever since its launch in 2009, the PCCME has gained recognition as one of the most professional and successful championships in the Middle East.
In 2023, it was upgraded to the PCCME, making it one of 12 Carrera Cups in the world, and its 2025-26 campaign was its 17th season.
Drivers in the PCCME compete across Pro, Pro-Am, Masters, and GCC categories while getting behind the wheel of identical Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup cars.
The 2025-26 championship-opener took place at BIC last November, while succeeding rounds were held at Doha in Qatar, and at Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
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