F1 eyes Bahrain return as Saudi rescue plan emerges

Formula 1 is exploring a late rescue of at least one of its cancelled Middle East races, with Bahrain emerging as the most realistic comeback option and a more complicated plan also under discussion to restore Saudi Arabia before the end of the 2026 season.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali signalled that possibility when he said "we may recover one," after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off last month because they "cannot go ahead in April" amid the war in the Middle East. That wording left open the chance of finding space later in the year, even though the calendar after the summer break already looked too congested to absorb replacements.

The clearest opening is the weekend of October 2-4, between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix. RacingNews365 reports that the FIA is reviewing that slot as a possible home for Bahrain, which is understood to be the preferred option because freight remains in the country. BILD also says Bahrain could be run on October 4, creating a triple-header alongside Baku on September 27 and Singapore on October 11.

Saudi Arabia is the harder race to save. BILD reports that one proposal would place Jeddah on December 6, but only by turning the end of the season into a four-race run. With Las Vegas already set for November 22 and Qatar for November 29, Saudi Arabia would follow on December 6, and Abu Dhabi would have to move back one week to December 13.

That is where the biggest obstacle appears. Abu Dhabi is described as contractually fixed as the season finale, and not to be changed, which leaves little room to maneuver if Saudi Arabia is to be reinstated. RacingNews365 also notes the human cost of such a solution, warning that a season-ending quadruple-header at the end of an already demanding year could push team personnel to "breaking point."

The calendar pressure is already severe without adding another layer. At the time of the April cancellations, it was widely felt that 11 grands prix in 16 weekends after the summer break made replacement plans unlikely. The fact F1 and the FIA are still working through options shows how much value there is in restoring one or both events.

That incentive is financial as well as sporting. RacingNews365 reports that the race fees for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, worth around £100 million in total, have already been paid in advance. BILD puts the combined organisers' fees at about €100 million and says part of the objective is to rescue both races and that income.

Any comeback still depends on the same condition that forced the races off the schedule in the first place. Both reports say the war must end before either grand prix can return. RacingNews365 says sources familiar with the situation indicate no final decision needs to be made until the middle of August, while BILD reports that a vote on the proposal is supposed to take place in July.

For now, Bahrain looks like the cleanest solution and Saudi Arabia the more ambitious one. If the situation in the region improves in time, F1 may yet turn two early-season cancellations into a late-season calendar reshuffle with real implications for the shape and strain of the championship run-in.