Here’s what the rest of the F1 2026 calendar might look like if Qatar and Abu Dhabi face big challenges
The F1 calendar might see some big changes as the war in the Middle East keeps creating uncertainty about the last two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
This weekend, F1 is back with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, and the battle for the Drivers’ Championship is heating up just before the summer break. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli has been leading the pack with a strong pace, but after finishing 16th at the British Grand Prix, he lost some ground to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Leclerc took his first win of 2026 at Silverstone, while Hamilton’s third place narrowed the gap to just 32 points, as he aims for a record-breaking eighth World Championship title.
Fans can expect an exciting race at Spa, especially with the FIA adding five straight-line zones to F1’s longest track, one of several new changes this season.
At the start of the year, 24 Grands Prix were planned, but that dropped to 22 after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were cancelled in March due to the conflict. F1 president Stefano Domenicali is hopeful that one of those races, likely Bahrain, will return. He told Sky Sports, “If the conditions are right, we’re going to go ahead with our plan. If there’s a chance, why not?”
Tensions remain high between the US/Israel and Iran, making the last two races in Qatar (Nov 27-29) and Abu Dhabi (Dec 4-6) uncertain. Although a ceasefire was reached some time ago, the situation has escalated recently, which affects the F1 schedule.
Bahrain could return to the calendar, possibly fitting in between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix in early October. But for that to happen, F1 needs to feel the situation in the Middle East is safe enough by the end of July. Motorsport Italia reported that F1 planned to announce the Bahrain race date next weekend, but recent strikes on Iran delayed those plans.
While there might be a way to bring Bahrain back, the futures of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races remain unclear; a decision will come later. F1 has until mid-September to finalize any major calendar changes, including rescheduling cancelled races or choosing new venues for the season’s end.
There’s also talk that if Bahrain can’t return, there might be a second race added to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix or Singapore Grand Prix weekends, but how likely that is remains uncertain.
Here’s a look at two possible versions of the 2026 F1 calendar if these changes happen.
*Denotes F1 Sprint event.
F1 2026 race schedule: version one
If F1 cancels the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix because of the conflict, there is talk of the Portuguese and Imola Grands Prix stepping in to replace them—although this is still just speculation for now.
F1 2026 race schedule: version two
[Details to be announced.]