F1 teams have ‘speculatively booked’ hotels for Imola amid Bahrain cancellation fears

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Formula 1 teams have made ‘speculative’ arrangements to travel to Imola if the Bahrain Grand Prix has to be cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The event in Bahrain, along with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a week later, is under serious threat. There could be a one-month gap in the calendar between Japan and Miami.

For logistical reasons, a decision has to be made before the end of the Japanese GP weekend on 29 March. That gives F1 bosses little time to hope for a solution or arrange one themselves.

If the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are cancelled, which circuits should F1 go to instead?

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Imola hotels booked up as F1 prepares for possible Bahrain replacement

It emerged this week that Imola was an ‘alternative venue’ for round four/five, along with Paul Ricard in France and Portimao in Portugal. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix venue dropped off the calendar at the end of last season, with Madrid taking its place.

According to Motorsport.com, word has spread through the Albert Park paddock that hotels in Imola have been ‘speculatively booked’ for the 11/12 April weekend (Bahrain).

• READ MORE: F1 already has a cancellation deal in place for Bahrain and Saudi races, finance expert predicts

It’s unlikely that Bahrain or Saudi Arabian GPs will be replaced or rearranged, but F1 personnel are making contingency plans just in case.

It would be ‘exceedingly difficult’ at such short notice for a stand-in circuit to raise enough money from ticket sales and VIP packages to make the event commercially worthwhile.

F1 teams are pushing for emergency plan B if Bahrain/Saudi doubleheader is axed

Contractually, F1 is only obliged to hold 22 races, so there is little concern on that front. The 2026 season ends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but that is not until late November/early December.

Motorsport’s report states that it’s the teams, rather than Formula One Management, who are pushing for the sport to race at back-up circuits in April, even if they won’t admit this publicly.

There was a suggestion that Suzuka could host two races, but this is now seen as unlikely due to the demands on mechanics. It has been deemed too demanding to hold four flyaway races in five weeks.

F1 hasn’t had to cancel a race since 2023 when the Imola region was affected by flooding. The planned 2020 calendar had to be overhauled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with several one-off races rescheduled, and there was also some minor disruption in 2021.