Formula 1 is actively preparing for the possibility of restoring one of its canceled Middle Eastern races later in the 2026 season, as the championship continues to navigate the uncertainty created by the conflict involving Iran.
The sport was forced into a major calendar reshuffle earlier this year after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off ahead of the planned April double-header.
Since then, Formula 1 executives have been quietly evaluating a range of scenarios that could allow one of those events to be reintroduced before the campaign concludes in December.
While no final decision is imminent, Grand Prix racing’s chiefs have made it clear that contingency planning is already well underway behind the scenes.
Evaluating late-season calendar solutions
One possible avenue under consideration would see either Bahrain or the Jeddah street race return during the vacant weekend between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix in September.
Another potential solution could involve moving the Abu Dhabi finale back by one week to create space for an additional event between Qatar and Yas Marina.
However, that option would come at a considerable cost to teams and personnel, potentially creating Formula 1’s first-ever quadruple-header alongside Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi – an exhausting logistical challenge during an already intense closing stretch of the season.
Beyond the scheduling complexities, the championship also faces the difficult reality that the geopolitical situation remains highly unpredictable.
Should tensions continue deep into the latter stages of the year, even the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds could face uncertainty.
As a result, Formula 1 is attempting to balance flexibility with caution while keeping teams, promoters, and commercial stakeholders informed.
Speaking during Liberty Media’s first-quarter financial presentation, company CEO Derek Chang revealed the extent of the work being done internally to prepare for every possible outcome.
"We will be thoughtful in our approach, and we will continuously evaluate the calendar this year. It might be possible to reschedule one race toward the end of the season," Chang said.
"I think we are evaluating all the various alternatives and trying to make decisions in a timely fashion that will give us as much lead time to the extent we make changes and make adjustments.
“But I'll let Stefano talk through some of those specifics as he and his team are working overtime and trying to keep up."
Domenicali stresses flexibility as F1 keeps options open
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali echoed Chang’s cautious tone, emphasizing that while backup plans are in place, the sport’s primary hope remains for stability to return across the region.
"To avoid any speculation, the only thing I can say is that we have plans, hopefully not to be applied because we really hope that the situation for the world, not only for the racing, will go back to normal,” the Italian said.
"We have plans, of course. The lead time or the cutoff is different between the fact that we can eventually recover what has not been run in April versus what could eventually happen or not happen at the end of November, beginning of December.
“We are, of course, aligning with the teams, with the promoters, because that's something that has a big chain reaction. In due time we will keep everyone informed."
For now, Formula 1’s approach remains one of preparedness rather than prediction. Behind closed doors, officials are continuing to map out multiple pathways for the final phase of the 2026 calendar, knowing that circumstances could shift rapidly in the months ahead.
Whether one of the canceled races ultimately returns may depend not only on logistics and timing, but on how quickly conditions in the region stabilize.
Until then, the championship remains in wait-and-see mode – hopeful that one of its marquee Middle Eastern events could yet be revived before the season reaches its conclusion.
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