The armed conflict that devastated the Middle East in early 2026 and that still threatens to unleash further repercussions has cost Formula 1 a lot of money. The world championship was forced to cancel the two Gulf races that were scheduled for April, with the double blow that they are two of the ones that pay the most in rights fees.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were dropped from the calendar, representing a blow to Formula 1’s coffers of around 14% of its annual budget. $100 million in losses that threaten to derail Formula 1’s economy. So Liberty Media has a plan: relocate them to the end of the year and race until Christmas.
The Formula 1 wants to race until Christmas to recover the $100 million lost
Having two races fall off the Formula 1 calendar is always a setback. That those races are Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is the biggest blow imaginable for Liberty Media. The war in the Middle East left Formula 1 without its Middle East visit planned for April, and that has created a huge gap in the budget.
It goes without saying that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are two of the five races that pay Liberty Media the most for having their own Formula 1 Grand Prix. Because they had to be canceled due to force majeure, Formula 1 has been left without that money. And it’s no small hole: we’re talking about around the 15% of the budget.
Specifically, Formula 1 would have lost about $100 million of the $700 million that are estimated to be collected as circuit rights over a season. And while cities such as Miami or Las Vegas do not pay, since Liberty Media is the promoter, the Gulf states are among the ones that open their wallets the most.
That is why the latest rumors say Formula 1 has a plan: relocate the two canceled races. In fact, when it was announced that they would be dropped from the calendar, the term “they will not be held now” was used, which hints that they were already considering finding a slot if the war allowed. The problem will be the dates.
What is being discussed is to slot the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix into the October gap between Azerbaijan and Singapore. The problem is that another year the Formula 1 season concludes with the absurd marathon of six races in seven weeks, so there is now no free slot to place Bahrain.
Moreover, Abu Dhabi has to be the final race since it pays for it, so Formula 1 is proposing a juggling act: delaying Abu Dhabi and Qatar to open a space for Bahrain. The problem is that Formula 1 would end on December 20, almost at Christmas. A grind for the team staff who are increasingly burned out by the delirious calendars of Formula 1.
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