The 2026 Formula 1 calendar has been shortened to 22 races, after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races, with the FIA debating potential adjustments.
F1’s latest era has started off on shaky ground. The all-new technical regulations have sprouted a lot of debate with respect to the essence of the sport.
But while the on-track action has been scrutinised, debated and amended, nine rounds into 2026, F1 is facing another challenge, completely out of its hands.
With the escalation of the Middle-East conflict, the FIA and FOM were forced into cancelling the races at Sakhir and Jeddah, respectively, scheduled for April.
And with the situation seemingly persisting, there is a lot of uncertainty if F1 will be able to fulfil the 24-race calendar it had promised at the start of the season.
With Qatar still scheduled for the end of November, and doubts surrounding the fate of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has extended his full support to the governing body and F1.
“Yeah, I think ultimately Stefano [Domenicali] and the FIA are going to work through the calendar, so we’ll race what they tell us we’re racing and we’ll be happy to do that,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think we all have the same challenge as far as managing through that, and then our partners are all understanding the calendar’s quite big, so it doesn’t really present any commercial issues from that point of view.”
Alpine and Ferrari “convinced” by FIA efforts to revive 2026 F1 calendar
As things stand, the sport doesn’t seem to be in a position to reinstate both the rounds at Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
And while representatives of the event at the Jeddah Corniche Street Circuit have been lobbying for the race’s return in 2026, Bahrain seems the most likely to get the nod.
The team’s freight is still locked up at the Sakhir International Circuit, and logistically, it could be fitted between the Azerbaijan and Singapore GP weekends, to make it a triple-header.
Whatever the decision might be, Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has placed his vote of confidence firmly behind the FIA.
“We all want to go to races, and we all want to race again and more, but it is like it is,” the Frenchman added.
“We have huge trust in the FIA and FOM on the calendar. They are working hard to find solutions, and I’m really convinced that they are doing the best.”
Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen echoed the sentiments of his peers. “Yes, nothing to add really. I’m sure they’ve got a myriad of versions of the calendar, and they’ll go for whichever one world events allow them to do,” he said.
The FIA and FOM would want to sort its calendar issues out by the time the summer break ends. With two races to go before the summer break begins, however, things will be moving rapidly behind the scenes to reach a conclusion.
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