F1 Update: Middle East races canceled, new dates announced
Formula One president Stefano Domenicali has shared an update about rescheduling the cancelled Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. These Middle East races were originally set for April but had to be cancelled because of the conflict between the US and Iran.
At the time, it wasn’t clear if one or both races would be rescheduled later in the year. F1 is already set to return to the region for the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races in the winter. Some guesses said the rescheduled races might fit into that period since those events are nearby, but Sky Sports reports that’s not the plan.
Instead, they say the rescheduled race could take place between October 2-4, right between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix. Domenicali told Sky Sports that a final decision on bringing back one or both races will be made before F1’s summer break, after the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26.
He said, “If there is something to announce about fitting in these races, we’ll do it when the time and conditions are right. That’s really the hope. If everything lines up, why not go for it?”
It looks like the Bahrain race is the stronger candidate to return, rather than both cancelled ones. Domenicali added, “We need to decide on this before the summer break.”
He also spoke about worries that the last two Middle East races—Abu Dhabi and Qatar—might be cancelled because of the ongoing conflict. However, Domenicali remains hopeful these races will happen as planned, despite recent strikes in the UAE and Qatar.
“Our job is to be ready to run the calendar as planned,” he said. “We’re watching the situation closely, and it would be a great message for sport and for politics if things move forward. If that happens, it means we can say that difficult times are behind us.”