Author Archives: PressBox

Both the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian (Jeddah) Grand Prix were canceled after rounds in April were called off, and insiders say they are unlikely to be reinstated on the 2026 calendar despite contingency talks. FIA, Liberty Media and F1’s 11 teams discussed a possible Oct. 4 slot, and one report placed that date between the Azerbaijan race on Sept. 26 and the Singapore Grand Prix on Oct. 11, though reporting varied on the exact placement. Organizers had considered reviving a round in October to preserve a 23-race schedule. No firm decision has been announced; the parties declined to comment.

Insiders and F1 chiefs said rescheduling Bahrain or Jeddah is unlikely, leaving the 2026 calendar reduced. Officials and team bosses cited practical barriers, including Middle East summer heat, the operational strain of creating two triple-header sequences, the burden of four consecutive race weekends, driver welfare concerns and logistical constraints. F1 management warned that adding the two races could risk crowning an “undeserving” drivers’ champion and would introduce an extra 50 championship points. Re-adding Jeddah after Abu Dhabi was described as highly unlikely because of logistics and the FIA awards event in Shanghai on Dec. 12; contingency talks have continued over possible season-ending slots in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

The cancellations followed U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran since February, a fragile ceasefire and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, developments that directly affected race planning and regional safety assessments. Financially, Guggenheim Partners estimated about $200 million in annual revenue loss and roughly $80 million in EBITDA impact for Liberty Media, and reported Bahrain’s promoter fee at more than $50 million. F1 has been on hiatus since the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29; the championship is scheduled to resume in Miami May 1–3 using the sprint weekend format. No confirmed schedule changes have been published.

Organizers and Alpine estimated about 600,000 people turned out for Franco Colapinto’s road show in Buenos Aires, reviving calls for Argentina to return to the Formula One calendar for the first time since 1998. Branded as the Mercado Libre “Franco Colapinto Road Show Buenos Aires 2026,” the demonstration ran along a temporary, roughly 2 km street circuit on Avenida del Libertador and Avenida Sarmiento in Palermo. Organizers and local stakeholders called the turnout a clear signal that Argentina is ready to host a Grand Prix again.

The 22-year-old made two show runs in a 2012 Lotus E20 painted in Alpine livery and also drove a replica Mercedes W196 once piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio. He greeted supporters at multiple points along the route, performed donuts and posed beside displayed historic and V8-era cars. The event featured fan zones, live music and an Argentine Air Force fly-by.

Colapinto debuted with Williams in mid-2024, completed nine races for that team and later moved to Alpine. He is in his first full season with Alpine and scored his first points for the team at the Chinese Grand Prix. He is the second Argentine to race in F1 this century after Gaston Mazzacane. The mass turnout intensified interest from venues such as the Oscar y Juan Gálvez Autódromo, which has expressed ambitions to host F1 and is due to host MotoGP. Organizers said the turnout, dubbed the “Colapinto effect,” could provide the promotional momentum to influence decisions about reinstating the Argentine Grand Prix. Alpine issued a statement and staged the on-street spectacle, and the team sat fifth in the early Constructors’ standings as F1 prepared for the Miami Grand Prix.

David Coulthard sharply criticized Aston Martin’s decision to elevate Adrian Newey to team principal, calling the move a public relations “own goal” on the Up to Speed podcast. Coulthard, who worked with Newey at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, said he would not have pictured Newey in that leadership role and described Newey as a technically driven problem solver better suited to design work than the political and media-facing demands of a team principal. Coulthard added that Newey, now in his 60s, was unlikely to pursue those skills and questioned Lawrence Stroll’s public presentation of Newey as a partner and shareholder, saying the messaging raised doubts about whether the promotion would work.

Aston Martin promoted Newey after he designed the AMR26, but the team’s 2026 campaign has been hampered by Honda’s difficult return and severe engine vibrations that disrupted drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The move made Newey Aston Martin’s fourth different team principal in five years and formed part of wider leadership changes that included Andy Cowell’s move to chief strategy officer.

Newey is widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s greatest designers, with work that contributed to 14 drivers’ and 12 constructors’ titles and to Red Bull’s 2024 success. Coulthard questioned whether technical excellence alone would be sufficient to steer a team facing reliability and political challenges.