With the first Grand Prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Melbourne scheduled to take place this weekend, there are urgent concerns over whether races four and five on the 24-race schedule will proceed as planned. Political tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran have turned the Middle East into a highly volatile environment.
There are massive concerns over safety, as several surrounding countries in the area have gotten involved and faced damage thus far. With that being said, races in Sakhir and Jeddah set to take place on Sunday, April 12 and Sunday, April 19, respectively, are now under threat.
Given the immense uncertainty, F1 is considering relocating the races if needed. Other racing series, such as WEC and MotoGP, had been planning on holding events in the Middle East this month and have already begun making arrangements.
WEC was expected to hold its first race of the season in Qatar during the last weekend of March, but they have since relocated it to Imola during the same weekend as Formula 1's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
F1 must act most quickly to prevent losing out
Safety and well-being are the foremost concerns in determining whether the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will take place. There are two clear replacement options that could quickly turn into reality if need be.
Imola and Portimão are the two favorites for the time being.
Imola, despite being the only venue removed from the F1 calendar after 2025, still has the facilities to host a Grand Prix. It ironically had its own race canceled in 2023 due to flooding.
Portimão, on the other hand, faces some uncertainty, as it is already slated for a return to the F1 calendar for the first time since 2021 in 2027. Whether the venue will be ready to host a Grand Prix as soon as April is unknown.
A potential course of action would be to secure Imola in place of the Bahrain Grand Prix as soon as possible. If going to Jeddah shortly afterwards is not an option, securing any available FIA Grade 1 track would suffice.
Another possibility would be to use a circuit twice, similar to what happened in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when two different configurations of Bahrain International Circuit were used. The Red Bull Ring also hosted two races in both 2020 and 2021.
Nevertheless, the ongoing tension in the Middle East is something to monitor closely. Formula 1 and the FIA must act quickly and set contingency plans soon in the event that either one or both races in that part of the world cannot be held.