The very delicate geopolitical situation in the Middle East could have consequences not only on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar but also on 2027, with a sensational return to the game of Imola. Stefano Domenicali has so far confirmed both the final stages of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but it is clear that a plan B is increasingly taking shape in order not to give up the minimum number of races required especially by television contracts.
A definitive decision is expected by mid-September (likely after the Spanish GP in Madrid), but it is equally clear that time is running out also for the definition of the 2027 calendar.
Imola and Barcelona at the forefront
As explained by Domenicali himself a few days ago, if the final stages in the Middle East do not take place, the 2026 season will end with a European race and Imola is among the viable alternatives, despite the Romagna climate not being particularly favorable in December.
Precisely Imola, along with Barcelona, could be the wild card that Formula 1 could play at the last minute even in the first part of the 2027 World Championship. The outcome of the war between the United States and Iran, which also involves the Gulf countries, does not seem to be shaping up at the moment, but it is necessarily required to outline the calendar for the next season having already postponed its official announcement by several months.
The most delicate situation at the moment is that of Bahrain. Although the venue for the 2026 Grand Prix has been moved to Malaysia, there is deep uncertainty looking towards 2027 because in Sakhir both the pre-season tests and the opening round of the championship should take place. Added to this is Saudi Arabia, which since 2022 has been held back-to-back with Bahrain.
So here Imola and Barcelona would come back into play, with Montmeló being the natural replacement choice also for the pre-season tests. According to Autosport-Web Japan, the 2027 scenario could be reshuffled in this way.
The opening race would move to China with Australia following (the Melbourne facility is currently under renovation) and then the Japanese GP. Also in case of a no-show from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, one between Imola and Barcelona would be inserted as the fourth. The remaining one of the two would then be scheduled on a late May weekend between Montreal and Monaco.
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