> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# F1 calendar latest: New back-up plan for 2027 season-opener
- URL: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/f1-calendar-latest-new-back-up-plan-for-2027-season-opener/
- Published: 2026-08-26T05:31:13.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-26T05:31:13.000Z
- Description: The Chinese GP has emerged as a leading option to be the 2027 Formula 1 season opener if starting in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is not possible
- Author: Jon Noble
- Tags: Formula 1, #chinese-grand-prix, #primary_homepage_feature

The Chinese Grand Prix has emerged as a leading options to be the 2027 Formula 1 season opener if starting in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia is not possible.

F1 is currently holding a watching brief over the situation in the Middle East, following the conflict that erupted between the United States and Iran back in February.

Decisions it plans to make over the next few weeks are not only to what happens to the final phase of this year's calendar, but will dictate the fate of the 2027 schedule too.

F1's provisional idea is to start next year in Bahrain – so if that cannot happen then an alternative plan needs to be put in place.

## September decision

The tensions in the Middle East already resulted in the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix being called off earlier this season, with a race in Malaysia, funded by Bahrain, getting slotted in as a replacement in early October.

The fate of this year's planned season-closing Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix still remains up in the air.

F1 has long been clear that it will make a call on whether it is comfortable to go ahead with those two races by the end of September.

Comments by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali at the weekend that the calendar was "confirmed" did not mean a final decision had been made about Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but are understood instead to be related to the fact that the current plan is to go there.

Speaking to F1's own channel at the Dutch GP, Domenicali said: "The calendar is confirmed. So there are still a few tickets to be sold in Abu Dhabi.

"Everything is progressing well and we stay focused on delivering the calendar we promised at the beginning of the year."

If, however, by the end of September the conflict between the USA and Iran is not over then F1 will likely be forced to abandon the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix for now.

If that happens then the season finale will take place at Imola in December, most likely a fortnight after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

## The 2027 decision

The Middle East situation impacts next year too. F1 has held back on releasing its provisional 2027 calendar, which has made it more difficult for race promoters to get on with selling tickets. In recent years it has been able to release the following season's calendar during the summer.

Should the situation in the Middle East have not improved by the end of September then that will likely force a rejig on plans to start next season in the region too.

The Race understands F1's 2027 plan A is to start the year with back-to-back races in Bahrain (March 14) and Saudi Arabia (March 21) before a triple header in Australia (April 4), Japan (April 11) and China (April 18.)

But if that cannot go ahead, the leading alternative is to begin the season in March with the Chinese Grand Prix, followed by Japan.

The reason for this is that the Australian GP, which has previously been a season opener for F1 on plenty of occasions, cannot move too far forward from its current provisional April slot because work on a new pit building will not be complete in time.

So the race in Melbourne would then slot in after the Asian races – either as the third race of a triple-header with China and Japan or as a standalone.

F1 would then have to make a call about whether to attempt to slot in the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races for April, and hope things improve in the Middle East, or delay them even further by pulling other events forward.

Speaking over the summer break, Domenicali said F1 would definitely hold a full calendar next year, whatever happens in the Middle East.

"We have different plans with different options ready in place that will accommodate the fact that we will keep, in any case, the target of 24 grand prix also for next year," he said.

This season's calendar currently looks set to end up at either 22 or 23 races.