The Adelaide Grand Prix was a concrete option on Stefano Domenicali’s desk following the provisional cancellation of the Bahrain and Jeddah GPs
Following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, the Formula 1 calendar has undergone a logical and significant overhaul. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, originally scheduled for April, have been virtually cancelled, leaving a substantial void in the schedule for the entire month.
In fact, the next race is not scheduled until May 3rd in Miami, resulting in a five-week hiatus. To fill this gap, F1 management considered several alternative venues, including the historic street circuit of Adelaide.
The negotiations to bring Adelaide back to the calendar
In the wake of the Melbourne GP—the opening round of the 2026 season—Australia promptly put forward Adelaide as a candidate for the April slot. Interestingly, the circuit is also set to make its MotoGP debut next year, taking over the Australian round from Phillip Island.
Speaking to Triple M, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas discussed the talks between the circuit organizers and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali: “As soon as it became obvious they wouldn’t be racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, I thought, ‘Hey! This could be an opportunity.’ So, I picked up the phone and made the inquiry” .
Malinauskas elaborated on the rapid-fire dialogue with Domenicali: “If we had managed to close the deal, people would have known about it recently. I presented our proposal and said: ‘I have the team ready, they’ve done the math, we can have the track set up within these deadlines”.
PH: McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team
The response from the F1 CEO followed shortly after: “They replied: ‘Okay, let us evaluate it.'” However, the Australian Premier later clarified the outcome: “But in the end, they decided to cancel those races without replacing them”.
Finally, a historical note on the Adelaide round: the Australian city previously hosted the Formula 1 circus between 1985 and 1995, before making way for Melbourne. A return to the calendar, while currently remaining a “utopian” prospect, would have marked a significant homecoming for F1.
