French GP faces ‘race against time’ to welcome fans if asked to replace Bahrain or Saudi Arabia

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One of the circuits that has been suggested as a potential replacement for either the Bahrain or Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is Paul Ricard in France.

Unrest in the Middle East has meant there are now doubts over the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which are set to take place in April.

Craig Slater has suggested the FIA have not made a decision on whether races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will take place this season.

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

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However, the FIA will also know that they need to start thinking about contingency plans in case two rounds of the 2026 F1 season can’t go ahead.

Le Castellet is among three circuits being internally considered as replacements for Formula 1’s only two races set to take place in April.

France hasn’t hosted a Formula 1 race since 2022, but Le Castellet, also known as Paul Ricard, will need as much notice as possible if it’s going to return to the calendar next month.

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A report from the French outlet NextGen Auto has shared more details about the circuits that are being considered in case F1’s first two Middle Eastern races of the year can’t take place.

The report suggests that the ‘most credible scenario’ is for F1 to return to Imola after it was removed from the calendar this year.

The logistics of Imola are said to be ‘ideal’ because of how accessible it is, and the paddock and surrounding area are already well-prepared to host a Formula 1 race weekend.

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NextGen Auto goes on to say that Paul Ricard’s proximity to Imola makes it a very good option to accompany Paul Ricard should Formula 1 need two new circuits.

It’s only an eight hour drive between the two tracks; however, Le Castellet faces a ‘race against time’ to make any event welcome to fans.

Despite its ‘perfect’ climate, Paul Ricard has very few ‘permanent grandstands’, although the limited time available to sell tickets might negate this issue.

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Which other circuits could step in if the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix are cancelled?

Reports are also emerging that Suzuka could host a double-header if it’s announced that a race can’t be held in Bahrain.

Logistically, that would give teams less time to get back to Europe if round five ends up at Imola or Paul Ricard, but fans in Japan are so passionate about F1 that the weekend would almost certainly sell out.

This is an issue that Formula 1 needs to address, as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are two of the most lucrative weekends for the sport.

Not only that, but teams would likely lose money if the races didn’t happen due to sponsors agreeing to back manufacturers in exchange for 24 race weekends.

The Portuguese Grand Prix returns to the calendar next year and is another potential option to host a race next month, while Turkey is also desperate to make an F1 comeback, although the weather conditions at Istanbul Park in April wouldn’t be ideal for racing.

It’s also believed that a race in Germany would be an ‘extremely easy choice’ for F1, but there have already been suggestions that the Hockenheimring will never return to the calendar.