The war in the Middle East stops the action: here’s when motorsport returns, with races, dates and details.
Cancellations linked to the situation in the Middle East have unfortunately deeply modified the entire global motorsport calendar: between cancelled races and postponed debuts, fans will have to wait a few weeks before seeing the main categories back on track.
A real shame, especially considering the spectacle we were enjoying on track: Kimi Antonelli and Marco Bezzecchi were the winners of the weekend and leaders of their respective championships, two names that, in some ways, are surprises and certainly not the pre-season favorites.
Here is when WEC, MotoGP and Formula 1 – the three main two- and four-wheel competitions – will return (or begin).
WEC: Season Debut at Imola
The FIA World Endurance Championship has undergone the most significant changes: both the Prologue and the 1812 km of Qatar, originally scheduled for late March, were cancelled, forcing the category into a shorter championship and a delayed season start.
The endurance championship will therefore debut directly at Imola, along the curves of the Santerno, during the April 17-19 weekend, with the first round of the season finally seeing Hypercar and LMGT3 machines on track. Among the three categories, WEC will be the first to return from this break.
Weekend Schedule
- 17 April – Free Practice 1 and 2
- 18 April – Free Practice 3, Qualifying and Hyperpole
- 19 April – Race
Imola will therefore officially open the 2026 endurance world championship season: remember that from this year the Fanta WEC is also available on the GPK Games app, alongside F1, F2, MotoGP and F1 Academy.
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MotoGP: Qatar Cancelled, Return in Late April
MotoGP has also undergone important changes, with the cancellation of the Qatar GP originally scheduled for April 10-12: a setback especially for teams like Ducati and Aprilia, which have very strong engines. Massimo Rivola, CEO of the Noale team, admitted it: “Usually these situations help those chasing in the championship, not those pulling away.”
The MotoGP World Championship will return directly during the April 23-26 weekend, with the traditional full format including practice sessions, qualifying, Sprint Race and Sunday race, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The Catalan weekend schedule includes:
- 23-24 April – Free Practice and Practice
- 25 April – Qualifying and Sprint Race
- 26 April – Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP races
After the Austin race, the paddock will therefore remain stopped for almost a month before returning to the track: the good news for European fans, however, is the return to classic race times.
Formula 1: Long Break Until Miami
Formula 1 will also stop longer than expected. The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix has created a gap in the calendar, leading to a break of more than a month after the Japanese GP: an opportunity for teams to bring several upgrades, with the possibility of seeing the competitive order reshuffled.
The Circus will return to the track during the May 1-3 weekend with the Miami Grand Prix, right where Kimi Antonelli achieved his first career Sprint Pole.
Weekend Schedule
- 1 May – Free Practice
- 2 May – Qualifying
- 3 May – Race
An unusual break that could, as previously mentioned, allow teams to introduce major technical updates: in this case as well, the same rule seen in MotoGP applies, where the chasing teams may benefit more from this pause compared to Mercedes.
Photo: Formula 1, MotoGP, Ferrari Hypercar
