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Four races in a row? Key details revealed as F1 eyes Bahrain or Saudi ‘reschedule’

Ű BY KIERAN JACKSON

reinstatement is between the Azerbaijan GP (Sept 26) and the Singapore GP (Oct 11), and sources have told The Independen t that Oct 4 is the most likely day a race could be added to the schedule. In fact, an event in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia would work ideally in terms of direction of travel for freight and equipment. However, adding a third “triple-header” slot to an already congested end-of-season schedule would stretch the teams to nine races across the world in 11 weeks. There is another concern with an early October slot. The staging of the 2023 Qatar GP in October left drivers severely affected by extreme heat, with a few retiring from the race and Esteban Ocon vomiting in his helmet. Would conditions in early October in the Gulf be safe enough for those on the track? Otherwise, the only other viable slot is amid the concluding triple header: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. This would only be possible if the Abu Dhabi GP was pushed back by one week, to Dec 13, yet this would cause issues: Abu Dhabi pays an expensive annual premium to host the final race of the season, and the current Dec 6 date coincides with the week of its national day celebrations. Even if the race was pushed back by one week – with Bahrain slotting in between Vegas and Qatar, for example – it would result in an unprecedented “quadruple header”, which would likely push the teams and personnel to breaking point and undoubtedly receive substantial pushback. Which race is more likely to be reinstated? As with the situation across the Gulf, this is somewhat up in the air. Given Bahrain’s longstanding agreement with F1 (first hosting a race in 2004), and the fact that it hosts a

now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us – I didn’t even finish reading it.” He also hinted at reinstating the country’s naval escort of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as he looks to end the Iranian blockade of the vital trade waterway, situated 400km east of Bahrain. As such, F1 bosses acknowledge that there will be no change to the current 22-race schedule – at least with events in the Gulf – until a resolution to the hostilities. On the flip side, if the conflict continues until the end of the year, the sport will have a decision to make regarding the final two races of the season in Qatar (Nov 29) and Abu Dhabi (Dec 6). If F1 is forced to cancel those two events, the season would be reduced to 20 races and would currently end on Saturday Nov 21, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix. However, executives would likely want to find a solution to such cancelled races, given the impact of lost hosting fees and the sport’s calendar. Yet in Miami, while floating the prospect of one race returning, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem insisted that “security and safety come first”. He added: “There is a bigger issue than just motorsport. It is the way we live, it’s the changes, it’s the stress in that area. “Sport can wait. What is more important? Humans or motorsport? Or any sport? Humans are always the priority. Hopefully, this (the war) will be over soon, so that we can go back to normal and not live in the way that we are living, with this stress. “God forbid, if it goes on to October, November, we’ll just have to not do it because security and safety come first.” When cound Bahrain, Saudi be rescheduled? The most obvious gap in the calendar for a

permanent track and pre-season testing, the Sakhir circuit is generally seen as the preferred option. However, the Saudi race is situated on the country’s western coast in Jeddah, which, unlike Bahrain, has not been targeted by Iranian strikes. This perhaps makes the street circuit a more realistic proposition for reinstatement. Currently, F1 stands to lose an estimated £100 million (RM520m) in hosting fees, but the situation is fluid, and F1 is not overly concerned, given the sport’s strong financial footing. Domenicali said in Miami: “The lead time or the cutoff is different between the fact that we can eventually recover what has not been run in April versus what could eventually happen or not happen (at the) end of November or beginning of December. “We are aligning with the teams, with the promoters, because that’s something that has a big chain of reaction. In due time, we will keep everyone informed.” Could another country step in? FIA president Mohammed has mooted that Turkey’s Istanbul Park – returning to the calendar in a five-year deal next year – could be a potential option for staging a race this season. “Maybe we could have Turkey this year if it finishes its homologation and the rest of their needs,” he said. “Logistically, (it’s a case of) what’s the best scenario? We’re consulting with the promoters. It’s about where we want to go, and we will try to facilitate, but not without putting stress on our staff. That would be too much.” Although seen as an unlikely option at this stage, everything will depend on how the situation evolves in the Middle East over the coming months. – The Independent

F ORMULA ONE is “continuously evaluat ing” the possibility of reinstating one – if not two – of the Middle Eastern races cancelled last month due to the conflict in the Gulf. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, scheduled for April, were taken off the 2026 calendar in mid-March, a fortnight after Donald Trump targeted missiles at Iranian military and government sites, provoking retaliatory strikes throughout the region. However, recent noises from the sport’s American owners, Liberty Media, and the sport’s governing body, the FIA, suggest that solutions to rescheduling the cancelled races are on the table. In a conference call with investors last week, during which details of a 53% year-on-year revenue rise were announced, Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang stated that executives were “continuously evaluating the calendar this year”. Chang added: “As Stefano (Domenicali, F1 CEO) mentioned to Bloomberg News last week, it might be possible to reschedule one race toward the end of the season.” He did ensure that any decision would be made in a “timely fashion”. But what are the options on the table? What is at stake? And could the end-of-season races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi also be at risk? ‘Humans are always the priority’ The most obvious point to state is that neither Bahrain nor Saudi Arabia will be reinstated unless there is a permanent end to the conflict in the Middle East. Last week, the US president described the ceasefire with Iran – in force since April 7 – as on “massive life support” after dismissing Iran’s peace proposals. Trump said: “I would call it the weakest right

F1 drivers race side by side during the Miami GP on May 3. – REUTERSPIC

Kane hits hattrick, St. Pauli relegated

FORWARD Harry Kane scored a hattrick as Bayern Munich celebrated their 35th German title on a gripping final day of the Bundesliga season yesterday with a 5-1 win over Cologne. Stuttgart secured Champions League qualification and St. Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated elsewhere on an action-packed final matchday. England’s Kane scored an elegant volley and a direct free-kick in the first half before rounding off his fourth hattrick of the season, ending as the league’s top scorer with 36 goals. “That was the perfect way to end

their hopes of a dramatic last-day escape were dashed by a 2-0 defeat to Mainz. Philipp Tietz headed Mainz in front early on before setting up Nadiem Amiri for the visitors’ second just before half-time. “It’s not often that you get relegated and the fans keep singing and waving their flags after full-time,“ said Heidenheim coach Frank Schmidt. I sometimes wish our society would stand together in hard times in the same way as our club does,“ he added. – AFP

for Wolfsburg 15 minutes from time, but Dezan Pejcinovic sealed St. Pauli’s fate with a cool finish shortly afterwards. “This is the worst feeling that there is in football, especially because we have seen in the last few weeks how much the club means to everyone,“ St. Pauli’s Hauke Wahl told Sky Sports. Wolfsburg will play one of Hannover, Elversberg or Paderborn in the playoff later this month, while St. Pauli return to the second tier after two years in the Bundesliga. Heidenheim’s three-year spell in the top flight also came to an end after

relegation playoff place in 16th. St. Pauli goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj kept Wolfsburg at bay with some smart saves in the first half before Konstantinos Koulierakis headed the visitors in front from a corner. Half-time substitute Abdoulie Ceesay gave St. Pauli hope with a header on 57 minutes, but tempers flared after Wolfsburg restored the lead in controversial circumstances. Vasilj claimed he had been pushed after deflecting the ball into his own net at a corner, but the goal was given after a nail-biting VAR check. Christian Eriksen missed a penalty

the season,“ Kane said. “We need to enjoy the celebrations now, because it’s been a long and hard campaign,“ he added. Said El Mala scored a superb solo goal for Cologne, but efforts from Kane, Tom Bischof and Nicolas Jackson saw Bayern run away with victory. At the other end of the table, Wolfsburg won a dramatic, three-way fight with St. Pauli and Heidenheim to avoid automatic relegation. The bottom three all began the day on equal points, but Wolfsburg’s pulse-racing 3-1 win over St. Pauli meant they secured the all-important