Reports suggest that Formula 1 might take a decision on reinstating the cancelled Saudi Arabian Grand Prix within a few weeks.
F1 went on a self-imposed ‘Spring Break’ after the Middle East conflict forced the sport’s hand in cancelling the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, scheduled for April.
That said, there have been talks lingering about a potential reinstating of these races – somewhere towards the end of the season.
No concrete comments have surfaced from either Liberty Media or the FIA, but credible reports suggest that a decision will be taken in the coming weeks.
Alongside this, it seems that F1 is also considering the possibility of hosting consecutive races at venues already on the calendar.
F1 currently focused on 22-race calendar says Liberty Media
If the races at the Bahrain International Circuit and Jeddah have to be run, a lot of logistics will have to be dealt about with by Liberty Media – the commercial rights holder of F1.
Speaking to investors, Liberty Media’s Chief Accounting Officer, Brian Wendling revealed that, hence, the organisation is going ahead on the assumption of only a 22-race 2026 calendar.
“We’re focus on a 22-race calendar,” he said.
“We’re still hopeful that we can move one of those races to the back part of the year, and so that would be upside, but that’s what’s in the forecast at this point, it’s the 22 races.”
Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang added, “We are evaluating all the various alternatives and trying to make decisions in a timely fashion that will give us as much lead time to the extent we make changes and make adjustments.”
F1 calendar clarity will be delivered “in due time” – Stefano Domenicali
Many suggestions are floating about accommodating the cancelled races into the current calendar.
Domenicalli has insisted that a decision will be taken “in due course” and that clarity is just around the corner.
“The only thing I can say is that we have plans, hopefully not to be applied, because we really hope that the situation for the world, not only for the racing, will go back to a normal situation,” he said.
“Of course, the lead time, or the cut off really, is different between what we can eventually recover that has not been run in April versus what could eventually happen or not happen in the end of November, beginning of December.
“We are, of course, aligning with the teams and with the promoters, because that’s something that has a big chain of reaction. In the due time, we will keep everyone informed.”
Bahrain could be slotted in between the Baku and Singapore. Another suggestion is to push the season-finale at Abu Dhabi back to run either the race at Bahrain or Jeddah on the 6th of December.
Alternatively, the race on the Vegas Strip Circuit – promoted by F1 themselves – could host back-to-back Grands Prix.
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