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F1 Weighs Late-Season Fix for 2026, Bahrain Seen as Likely Return

Leaders say a decision is due within weeks under ongoing security review.

Overview

  • F1 is weighing how to reinsert one of the canceled Middle East rounds after Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were scrubbed in April, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi also under watch.
  • Liberty Media said it is budgeting for a 22-race season but sees a chance to move one event to the back end of the year if conditions allow.
  • Multiple reports point to Bahrain as the likelier comeback, with the first weekend of October between Azerbaijan and Singapore cited as a possible slot that would create a triple-header.
  • Teams have raised welfare and freight concerns about proposals such as pushing Abu Dhabi back a week or adding a second Las Vegas race that would compress the run-in.
  • The FIA has already shifted its ADUO windows — extra power-unit upgrade periods — to match the new race count, reflecting knock-on effects from the cancellations.