F1 monitors Middle East conflict as WEC plans European finish
By Andrew ClarkeDate posted: 15 July 2026Formula 1 says it is continuing to monitor developments in the Iran conflict and its potential impact on the 2026 season, as the World Endurance Championship moves. . .
: 15 July 2026Formula 1 says it is continuing to monitor developments in the Iran conflict and its potential impact on the 2026 season, as the World Endurance Championship moves closer to replacing its Qatar and Bahrain rounds with races at Barcelona and Monza. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, scheduled for 12 and 19 April, were called off in March after the war placed both rounds in doubt. Plans were subsequently put in place to reinstate one of the races later in the year, with the weekend of 3-4 October, between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku and the Singapore Grand Prix on 11 October, identified by Formula 1 sources as the most likely slot. That date would create a triple-header beginning in Azerbaijan and ending in Singapore, and a final decision would be required before F1’s August shutdown. Bahrain pushes for October returnBahrain’s Minister of Sustainable Development Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif confirmed last week that discussions were continuing. “There are talks about maybe plugging in some of the races that were cancelled back into the calendar,” Alkhulaif told Reuters. “No confirmation still on that, [but] potentially. ”However, an initial ceasefire has been followed by the United States and Iran trading strikes in recent weeks, including Iranian attacks on military facilities in Bahrain, and there is growing uncertainty over whether a race in the region can be reinstated in under three months. Reuters reported renewed Iranian attacks on Bahrain in the days before the minister’s comments. An F1 spokesperson said the championship was continuing to “monitor and assess the situation”. Oscar Piastri, McLaren, driving on track during FP2 at the 2025 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Image: McLaren. Season finale under watchF1 is due to end its season in the Middle East, with the Qatar Grand Prix on 29 November and Abu Dhabi on 6 December forming a triple-header with Las Vegas. Both events remain on the calendar at this stage, given the time until their dates, but there is growing concern about September’s Azerbaijan race. Should Bahrain fail to be reinstated and Qatar and Abu Dhabi also drop from the schedule, one contingency could see the Portuguese Grand Prix become the season finale. The cancellations have already carried a cost. A March note from Guggenheim Partners estimated the loss of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races would strip about $US200 million from F1’s annual revenue. WEC prepares European finishFocus on F1’s calendar has increased after the WEC put a contingency plan in place that could see its rescheduled races in Qatar (25 October) and Bahrain (7 November) replaced by rounds at Barcelona and Monza. The plan was presented to teams during the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo weekend at Interlagos and is expected to be implemented pending ratification at the next FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting, believed to be 23 July, if there is no significant improvement in the security situation in the Gulf. Barcelona would run on 18 October, one week before the current Qatar date, while Monza would take the 7 November weekend originally reserved for Bahrain. Both would be six-hour races due to seasonal conditions and circuit restrictions, awarding the standard 25 points for victory rather than the 38 points on offer at the longer Qatar and Bahrain events. The revised WEC schedule would also clash with the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portimao, affecting up to 19 drivers entered in both championships, with SRO exploring a move of its race to the Saturday to allow drivers to contest both events.