Saudi Arabia does not give up, it wants the GP back in 2026: “Our availability has not changed”

Is the Saudi Arabian GP included in the 2026 F1 calendar? Jeddah does not give in to the contingencies of geopolitics and, indeed, really hopes to be able to return to the calendar to recover the Saudi Arabian F1 GP which was originally supposed to be held on April 19th. Thus, what at the beginning were only rumors of a possible relocation even in December, back-to-back with the grand finale in Abu Dhabi – which, however, is itself at risk if the war in the Persian Gulf were to continue – would seem to be gaining further momentum, at least in the intentions of the organizers. Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, who is also the president of the Saudi motoring federation, spoke publicly about it on the sidelines of the presentation event of the Dakar 2027 route. The Prince speaks “It is impossible to be here today – he explains during the event held in Paris – and ignore the moment we are living in or the things that have occurred in the Region. These are events that have raised questions, but which have also provided answers. It has in fact been demonstrated that Saudi Arabia is stable, that our system is solid, that our borders are secure and that our attention remains exactly where it should be and that is on continuing to protect our people by contributing to promoting stability in the Area”. A stability which, therefore, can lead, at least in the intentions of the Prince and the Federation he presides over, to the organization of a global event such as a Formula 1 GP: “We have seen this clearly in the last few weeks. We were ready to host F1 in Jeddah, just as we were for any other event scheduled on our territory. Completely prepared. The decision not to hold the race was taken by Formula 1 and the FIA. We respect it, but our availability has not changed. If anything, this situation has strengthened our commitment, not only in organizing events, but also towards what sport represents. Life goes on and sport continues, fans continue to fill the stadiums and they do so because they feel safe and because sport remains an integral part of daily life”. But is there space in the F1 calendar? However, it is not so obvious that Formula 1 could really take Jeddah’s requests into consideration, even if a peace treaty were reached between Iran, the USA and Israel, with a consequent end to the pressure on the Persian Gulf countries. The possible relocation of F1 to Saudi Arabia in December with the postponement of the Abu Dhabi stage would lead to an unprecedented situation, with four consecutive races, three of which in the Middle East (Lusail, Jeddah, Yas Marina) and one on the other side of the world, in Las Vegas.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-07 15:00:00