The Bahrain Grand Prix is back on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar – sort of. The race, originally scheduled for April at the Bahrain International Circuit in Manama, was cancelled because of conflict in the Middle East. Months of effort have gone into rescheduling the event for later this season, and a solution has now been confirmed.
The weekend of October 3-4 will see the Bahrain Grand Prix held at the Sepang International Circuit south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 3,750 miles south-east of Bahrain. Sepang last hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017, a race won by Max Verstappen.
Triple-header and calendar concerns
That weekend falls between races in Azerbaijan and Singapore, creating a triple-header of three races in as many weekends. Singapore is always an exhausting physical challenge given the heat and humidity, and the same will be true in Malaysia, which borders Singapore to the north.
As it stands, this season will comprise 23 races. It was originally set for 24, but the lost Saudi Arabia race will not be rescheduled. However, there remains a significant threat to the other two Middle East races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, planned as the final two rounds of the campaign.
Broadcaster contracts and minimum race count
F1 does not have to decide on those events until September, when teams need to start sending freight to the region. If hostilities continue, it is hard to see races in Qatar and the UAE going ahead. Losing those two would bring the schedule down to 21, and it would have been 20 without the Malaysia-hosted Bahrain race. This explains the bizarre compromise.
It is understood a race calendar of at least 21 but ideally 22 races needs to be preserved, otherwise F1 will need to partially refund broadcasters for TV rights deals. Keeping the calendar at 21 races or above saves F1 from having to hand back significant sums to broadcasters – one of the sport's most important revenue streams.
Contingency plans
F1 is also looking at contingency plans to pump the number back up to 22, should the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix be dropped. Portimao, which will return in 2027 as a host for the Portugal Grand Prix, has long been considered an option, while Imola, which fell off the calendar this year after returning during Covid to host the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, is seen as the increasingly likely choice.
While it would no doubt be cold in December and a challenge for tyres, Imola will be seen as a popular choice given the chances of Bologna-born Kimi Antonelli being crowned champion at his home circuit, or the same happening for one of the Ferrari drivers on Italian soil.
