According to the latest rumors, the Bahrain GP will be permanently canceled, while hope is rekindled for Saudi Arabia.
The war in the Middle East, which has been raging for nearly two months, has also forced Formula 1 into a forced hiatus, with the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. This situation, created by the conflict, has prevented the Circus from traveling and staging its most traditional weekend, forcing the Federation to cancel the two scheduled events for April.
The FIA’s enigmatic statement, however, did not rule out the possibility of rescheduling events during the season, which is why, according to the latest rumors, there could be some news: the first concerns Bahrain, and it’s not positive, given that the Sakhir race will most likely be canceled due to the ongoing conflict near the circuit, which has been hit several times by ballistic missiles.
Formula 1 is obviously closely monitoring the situation, especially ahead of next season, given that the traditional pre-season tests and the first race of 2027 will take place in Bahrain, according to paddock rumors. The second piece of news, of course, concerns Saudi Arabia, and here the situation appears slightly different, so much so that the Federation itself, according to the latest rumors, is considering rescheduling the Jeddah round in September.
However, there are two obstacles to overcome: the first concerns temperature, as drivers and teams will face significantly warmer weather in September compared to April, with significant physical challenges, as already seen in Qatar in 2023. The second concerns logistics: if the Saudi GP were to be reinstated on the calendar, it would come at the end of a trio of three consecutive races, which would therefore increase to four. This is an unprecedented situation in recent F1 and could create problems for the teams themselves, especially for the transportation of cars and materials.
Over the next few weeks, further meetings will be held to better understand what needs to be done, hoping that the conflict can ease and allow at least one of the two scheduled races to be held. Imola and Portimao remain on the table, but, as confirmed by the organizers of the Santerno circuit, there have been no official contacts with Liberty Media yet.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari Gallery
