Formula 1 will not hold the Bahrain GP in early October, according to information from GPblog. The stage, which was considered the main option to return to the calendar after the interruption caused by the conflict in the Middle East, was discarded, forcing the category to keep open the definition of the races that will close the season.
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Last week, Formula One Management [FOM] and the teams discussed the calendar during the Belgian GP. There was an expectation that the return of Bahrain would be confirmed for the first weekend of October, between the Azerbaijan and Singapore GPs, after a period of relative stability in the region. However, the resumption of hostilities made the plan unfeasible.
The teams were informed in Spa-Francorchamps that the race will not take place. With the increase in tensions in the Middle East, FOM considers it impractical to take Formula 1 to the region and understands that there are no guarantees that the situation will be normalized by early October.
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The holding of the Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs, scheduled to close the season, also remains undefined. Although there is no official decision yet, the more time passes, the lower the chances that the two stages will be held according to the original calendar.
While postponing a decision, FOM is evaluating alternatives to close the championship. The Portimão circuit in Portugal remains the main option to replace at least one of the races, while holding a second Azerbaijan GP, one week after the first race in Baku, is also under consideration. Despite these plans, the organization’s preference remains to keep the end of the season in the Middle East, as the absence of the stages in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would represent a significant financial impact due to contracts signed with local promoters.
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