Bahrain, Sept 17:
Formula 1 will begin its 2027 season with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14, according to the 24-race calendar released for next year, despite continuing uncertainty surrounding this year’s Middle East races.
The Bahrain race will be followed by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a week later. Qatar and Abu Dhabi are also scheduled to host races towards the end of the 2027 season.
Bahrain has traditionally hosted the opening race of several recent F1 seasons and also stages pre-season testing. It was moved from the opening slot in 2025 and 2026 because of scheduling conflicts with Ramadan.
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off this year because of the Iran war. An additional race in Malaysia next month will carry Bahrain Grand Prix branding.
The 2026 Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled for November 29, and the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6 remain on the calendar. Formula 1 has considered moving the races to Europe if circumstances prevent them from going ahead, although tickets for both events remain on sale.
The 2027 calendar also avoids clashes with two major endurance races — the Indianapolis 500 on May 30 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 12 and 13. F1 had scheduled races on the same dates this year.
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has previously expressed an interest in competing at Le Mans in the future.
More sprint races
Formula 1 will expand the number of sprint events from six to 10 in 2027. The Monaco Grand Prix will host a sprint for the first time, while the season-opening Bahrain weekend will also feature a sprint.
It will be the first time an F1 season begins with a sprint race before the opening Grand Prix.
F1 said weekends featuring sprint races attracted average viewership 12 per cent higher than those without them. Chief executive Stefano Domenicali said the expansion would provide fans with more competitive action during race weekends.
The 2027 calendar will also see the return of Portugal, with the Portimao circuit replacing the Dutch Grand Prix in June. Turkey will return in October after signing a five-year contract in April.
Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya will not host a race in 2027 for the first time since 1990. Madrid has taken over the Spanish Grand Prix title, while Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix branding had been retained for the circuit. Barcelona will now alternate with the Belgian Grand Prix and return to the calendar in 2028.
Middle East races under watch
Despite the continued uncertainty in the region, there was no indication that Formula 1 was preparing to cancel or relocate the 2026 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The Middle Eastern races are commercially significant to F1 and its teams, with the events generating substantial hosting fees. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Aramco and Qatar Airways are also major sponsors of the championship.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix next week will be the closest F1 race to Iran since the outbreak of the war earlier this year, with Azerbaijan sharing a land border with Iran.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has defended the decision to wait before making a final call on the remaining Middle East races, saying the organisation would not put drivers, teams or staff at risk.
The uncertainty has also been reflected in Formula 2, which supports F1 at Qatar and Abu Dhabi. F2 has added an additional race in Azerbaijan but continues to list Qatar and Abu Dhabi on its schedule.