Rumors of additional Grands Prix in '26 are mounting, but that is premature

One of the ways Formula 1 generates revenue is by holding Grands Prix. Local promoters pay a hefty fee to bring the sport to their venue, so if the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia do not go ahead due to the situation in the Middle East, it hits Formula 1 directly in the wallet, especially since Bahrain and Jeddah pay the highest fees of the year.

Having a Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia, perhaps a Bahrain Grand Prix somewhere in October, or possibly a second race in Las Vegas are all among the scenarios being floated this Friday, as a result of a call with investors following Liberty Media's quarterly results—the parent company of Formula One Management (FOM). However, it has not come to that yet, this website understands. Not yet, and perhaps never.

Here’s the situation: it’s certainly not surprising that FOM would like the cancelled Grands Prix to be held after all. Nor is it unusual that the organization is monitoring all possible scenarios. However, the obstacle remains the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and until everything returns to ‘normal,’ no Grand Prix will be added there, GPblog understands.

In case the situation does normalize, Formula 1 has various scenarios that could be worked out. Presenting those as certainties would be far too premature. “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 a normal situation,” said CEO Stefano Domenicali on an investor conference call.

“Of course, the lead time, or the cut off really, is different between what we can eventually recover that has not been run in April versus what could eventually happen or not happen in the end of November, beginning of December. We are, of course, aligning with the teams and with the promoters, because that's something that has a big chain of reaction,” the Italian said.