Bahrain set to take F1 2027 opener from Australia

Bahrain is expected to open the 2027 Formula 1 season on March 14, with Melbourne projected to move from round one to round three as Ramadan’s earlier timing clears the way for Sakhir to return to the front of the calendar.

The shift would end Australia’s two-year run as the opening race in 2025 and 2026, but it does not reflect any loss of standing for Albert Park. The expected change is being driven by a mix of religious timing, logistics and contract terms, with Ramadan due to conclude on March 7 or March 8 in 2027. That makes Bahrain the natural start point again, especially with pre-season testing typically centered in the Gulf.

Under the Australian Grand Prix’s long-term deal, Melbourne is protected even if it does not host round one. The contract extension agreed in 2022 runs through 2037 and guarantees at least five season-opening slots across that period, with two already used in 2025 and 2026. It also requires Australia to host one of the first three races of the season, which is why the current projection places Albert Park on April 4.

That emerging early sequence points to Saudi Arabia as round two on March 21, followed by a weekend off before Formula 1 heads to Australia. China is then forecast for April 11 and Japan for April 25, effectively restoring the Bahrain-Saudi opening pattern seen in earlier recent seasons.

The wider 2027 calendar is still not official, but the picture has become clearer since Formula 1 confirmed Turkey will return from 2027 on a five-year deal. That announcement helped lock in the shape of a 24-race schedule, with Portugal also expected back as the championship finalizes its available slots.

Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle welcomed Turkey’s return on social media, writing: "Great racetrack. Good news."

Formula 1 is not expected to confirm the full 2027 calendar immediately. The 2026 schedule was only published in June, but the likely opening stretch already points to Bahrain reclaiming round one and Australia using one of its protected early-season positions rather than another season-opening slot.