New F1 contingency plan for 2027 season opener emerges

China has become a viable alternative to host the opening round of the 2027 F1 season, should the ongoing conflict in the Middle East prevent the season from starting in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as originally planned.

F1 has been closely monitoring the situation in the region since hostilities broke out between the United States and Iran in February, and the fallout has already reshaped the 2026 calendar.

Both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were postponed earlier this season, with a replacement race in Malaysia, funded by Bahrain, now slotting in during early October.

The uncertainty has not been confined to this year's schedule. With decisions on the final phase of the current campaign still pending, the shape of next season's calendar remains similarly unresolved.

The fate of the season-closing Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix is still hanging in the air, with F1 having long committed to making a call on both events by the end of September.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has indicated publicly that the calendar is confirmed and that the current plan remains to race at both venues, though his comments reflect the intention to proceed rather than a final, irreversible decision.

Should the conflict remain unresolved by that point, F1 is expected to abandon both Middle East races, with the season finale then falling to Imola in December, a week or two after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Next season

F1's preferred plan for 2027 is to open the season with back-to-back races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, before moving into a triple-header spanning Australia, Japan and China.

But if conditions in the Middle East do not allow for that, the leading contingency is to begin the season in China, followed by Japan.

Australia cannot simply be moved to the front of the queue. Ongoing construction of a new pit building at Melbourne's Albert Park means the race cannot be brought significantly forward from its current provisional slot in April, ruling it out as a realistic season opener.

In a scenario where China leads the calendar, Melbourne would follow the Asian leg, either as the third round of a triple-header alongside China and Japan or as a standalone event.

F1 would then face a further decision on whether to attempt to accommodate Bahrain and Saudi Arabia later in April, depending on how the geopolitical situation develops, or to pull other events forward to fill the void.

Domenicali has been unequivocal on one point: regardless of what happens in the Middle East, F1 intends to run a full 24-race calendar in 2027.

F1 has yet to release its provisional 2027 schedule, a delay that has created difficulties for race promoters attempting to sell tickets, having grown accustomed to receiving the following season's calendar during the summer months.

Whilst some suggestions floating around the paddock indicate that a decision could be made around the time of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, RacingNews365 sources have suggested that further delays to a final call remain a real possibility.