F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed it is the series' intention to start the 2027 season with the "normal plan" when the calendar is unveiled later this year.
Domenicali confirmed that the calendar for 2027 will be "presented in the autumn", with it understood that the intention is to start in Bahrain and then Saudi Arabia in the usual back-to-back arrangement in mid-March.
Bahrain last held the season-opener in 2024, but the race was moved to a Saturday to accommodate Jeddah the week after, with Ramadan starting on Sunday, March 10th. In 2025, both races were moved until mid-April to respect the Islamic holy month.
In 2027, the dates are expected to fall between early February and early March, ending on Tuesday, March 9th, or Wednesday, March 10th, with the expectation that the season would begin on Sunday, March 14th in Bahrain, with Saudi taking place a week later.
However, owing to the ongoing Iran war in the Middle East and the uncertainty around the fragile peace process, it is possible that F1 could make other arrangements and start the season elsewhere.
Addressing media, including RacingNews365, Domenicali confirmed that the "normal plan" would be followed for the time being, but that in case the Middle East crisis is "not solved, we have options and different plans."
The Italian added that the deadline for F1 to know what the opening to its 2027 schedule would look like would be the end of the current calendar year.
"The calendar will be presented in the autumn," Domenicali told select, invited media, including RacingNews365.
"That will be the normal plan, but in the case that the situation in the Middle East is not solved, we have options and different plans.
"The trigger for that is the end of the year, so we still have a lot of time to adjust.
"But I think that if the situation in that region is not sorted for next year, Formula 1 is a marginal point on which we should be worried, marginally, because the situation would be very, very, very, very bad.
"But to assure you, we have different plans with different options ready in place that will accommodate the fact that we will, in any case, keep the target of 24 grands prix."
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