F1 edging closer to 2026 calendar decision as hard deadlines set

Formula 1 is making good progress in exploring possibilities for how the second half of the 2026 calendar will look.

The season was originally set to be 24 races, but in March, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were postponed after the outbreak of the Iran War and the Middle East crisis, but both grands prix were not formally cancelled outright.

No replacement races were named at the time owing to the short turnaround between the postponements on March 14th and the April 12th and April 19th dates the two races were originally scheduled for.

Owing to the already busy second-half of the season, with 11 races planned in the 14 weeks between the Dutch GP on August 23rd and Abu Dhabi GP on December 6th, there is limited space in which to organise an additional grand prix.

F1 has been continuing to monitor the fluid situation throughout the year, with the possibility of adding a race back onto the calendar existing, with one potential opening being the weekend of October 2nd-4th.

This falls on the weekend prior to the Singapore Grand Prix.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told Sky F1 that a decision to reinstate one of the postponed races needs to be made “before the summer break”.

RacingNews365 understands that on Sunday of the British Grand Prix weekend, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al Kahlifa, attended Silverstone and held discussions with senior figures, including F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, over a potential return for the Bahrain race.

It is understood from well-placed sources that talks have been progressing well over a potential return for Bahrain, and although nothing has been announced, it is understood that a deal is very close.

With uncertainty also surrounding the final two rounds of the calendar in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Domenicali asserted a decision needs to be taken on those “within the middle of September.”

The region has already seen major motorsport cancellations in recent times, with the Gulf 12 Hours which was scheduled for 10 January 2027 around the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, called off.

Domenicali is hopeful that the calendar will not be further impacted by the war in the area.

“Our duty is to make sure that we are ready to run our calendar as it is planned, above all for the last race of the year,” he said.

“We are monitoring the situation because it will be an incredible and positive message that is sporting and also political that we are moving in this direction. If this is happening, it's something that, of course, we can say is behind us. 

“And, as a positive man, as you know I am, I really hope that we can have all the conditions, safety first for all our people, that we can go there.

“If there is something that we can announce also related to the possibility of seeing if there is any space for what has not been run so far, we're going to do it in the right moment and with the right conditions.”