Bizarre: the Bahrain GP in Malaysia. Don’t worry, it gets even crazier

The situation six months ago: With the situation in the Middle East still uncertain, the FIA and Formula One Management announced in the spring that the two Arab World Championship races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could not go ahead at present.

The situation today: The Saudis have pulled out of hosting their Grand Prix, and there is a huge question mark over whether the World Championship finale will consist of races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. And the Bahrainis? They’ve come up with a quirky but clever solution – the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix will take place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Formula 1 World Championship races that are geographically misleading or lack a national designation – this isn’t all that uncommon.

In 2020, Formula 1 returned to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, but the traditional Grand Prix was no longer called the San Marino Grand Prix, as it had been from 1981 to 2006, but was instead named after the region – Emilia-Romagna.

During the coronavirus pandemic, this was one of six 2020 World Championship races without a country name, because race promoters have no revenue without spectators and government tourism authorities pay subsidies to Formula 1 to promote tourism.

Topic of the week

Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring: track – hit or miss?

The people of Madrid had set their sights high for their city’s first Formula 1 World Championship race since 1981. But have the high expectations for the new Madring mixed-circuit track really been met?

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For the first time in 70 years of Formula 1, a race in the premier class was called the ‘Styrian Grand Prix’ in 2020, and World Championship races without a country name in the title are more common than many fans might think. Fancy a short list?

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the United Arab Emirates (since 2009).

The Caesars Palace Grand Prix (1981 and 1982 in Las Vegas, USA). Because the race took place in the car park of the famous hotel.

The Dallas Grand Prix in the USA (1984).

The European Grand Prix (awarded as an additional title in the 1950s; from 1983 onwards, a standalone World Championship round held at various circuits – Brands Hatch, Baku, Donington Park, Jerez, Valencia and the Nürburgring).

The Pacific Grand Prix (held at Aida, Japan, in 1994 and 1995), as a second race in Japan alongside Suzuka.

The Pescara Grand Prix (1957 in Italy). The race was only included in the calendar because the races in the Netherlands and Belgium had been cancelled. The organisers at Zandvoort and Spa had offered the teams a smaller starting grid, which the teams rejected.

In addition to the Styrian Grand Prix, the following were added during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: the Grand Prix to mark the 70th anniversary of Formula 1 (held at Silverstone), the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello and the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nürburgring – as the naming rights to the ‘German Grand Prix’ belong to the Automobile Club of Germany (ADAC), but the 2020 race was organised by the ADAC, it had to be given a different name.

Also new at the time: the ‘Sakhir Grand Prix’ in Bahrain, named after the main sponsor and the desert in which the circuit is located. The Sakhir Grand Prix took place on the outer loop of the Arabian circuit, with lap times of 53 seconds!

New to the calendar since 2022: the Miami Grand Prix. The title ‘United States Grand Prix’ belongs to Austin (Texas).

Since November 2023, we have once again had a Las Vegas Grand Prix.

And whilst we’re on the subject of the USA: From 1950 to 1960, the famous Indy 500 was part of the Formula 1 World Championship, although only a handful of European F1 drivers ventured into the ‘Noodle Pot’ and the race was neither called a Grand Prix nor bore a country’s name at the time.

And, last but not least, on the calendar of the premier class from 2026: the Barcelona-Catalunya GP, as the Madrileños have snapped up the title ‘Spanish Grand Prix’ for the race at the new Madrid circuit.