Imola has ‘not sought contact’ with Formula 1 to replace Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 2026

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Formula 1 faces a five-week break between the Japanese and Miami Grand Prix, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia being taken off the 2026 calendar.

Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, F1 has cancelled the races in Sakhir and Jeddah, cutting the calendar down from 24 races to 22. Other motorsports, such as WEC and MotoGP, have taken similar actions with the Qatar GP.

F1 has been considering alternative venues to host races and fill the gap in the calendar. Among those considered was Imola, which dropped off the schedule at the end of 2025.

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

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Others, such as Portimao, which will return to F1 from 2027, and Le Castellet, were also options. However, the French Grand Prix had a ‘race against time’ to build grandstands at the circuit if it was asked to host a race.

Of all the options on the table, the Emilia-Romagna GP seemed the most likely. Reports even suggested that F1 teams have booked hotels in Imola in anticipation of an announcement.

Imola Mayor confirms no contact has been made with F1 over a 2026 race

However, Imola Mayor Marco Panieri has confirmed to Motorsport Italia that the track is ‘not moving forward’ with plans to host a race in 2026.

Amidst the conflict in the Middle East, he does not want to exploit the situation to hope for a return to F1. Instead, Panieri prefers to wait for a solution.

He said at the 4th Happy Birthday Ayrton event: “Right now, I think it makes more sense to hope for the conflict to end rather than hoping for the Grand Prix to be on the 2026 calendar. We’ve taken a conscious stance. We’re not moving forward, but we prefer to wait.”

Liberty Media must ‘guarantee’ a calendar of at least 20 races to maintain agreements with television right holders, which it already has even with the cancellation of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

However, it is ‘no secret’ that Imola and Portimao are being discussed as potential events in 2026. The former ‘remains available’ should it be called upon, but no talks are ongoing with F1.

READ MORE: Suzuka could now host a double-header if F1 must replace Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races

Could other F1 races be cancelled in 2026?

With Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancelled, and with no plans to reschedule them at this stage, there are growing fears that more races could be axed in 2026.

The Azerbaijan GP could be next under threat, due to Baku’s proximity to Iran. The race is scheduled for September 26, but there could be another gap in the calendar.

There are also doubts over Qatar and Abu Dhabi hosting races this year. The situation is developing, but it would be F1 taking alternative options, such as Imola, more seriously if there are to be more cancellations.