Formula 1 has locked in its 2027 calendar, and the season will start where so many recent campaigns have: under the floodlights in Bahrain on 14 March. Saudi Arabia follows a week later, with Qatar on 29 November and Abu Dhabi closing the year on 6 December. All four Gulf races hold long-term contracts, and Bahrain will again host February's pre-season testing.

Planning a race trip out east for 2027 might still feel like a gamble, though. This year's Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were scrapped because of the Iran war, and there's been no confirmation that this season's Qatar and Abu Dhabi races will go ahead — tickets are still on sale for both, with Imola in Italy reportedly the standby option. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has defended the slow approach, saying safety won't be compromised for staff, teams or drivers.

The 2027 schedule has some structural shake-ups worth noting for fans who travel. Sprint races jump from six to ten, and Bahrain's opener will be the first time a season has begun with a short-format race rather than a full Grand Prix. Even Monaco — a track about as suited to overtaking as a karting alley — gets a sprint. F1 says sprint weekends pulled 12% higher viewership on average, and CEO Stefano Domenicali is leaning into the extra drama.

European fans get some good news too. Portugal returns at Portimao in June for the first time since 2021, replacing the Dutch Grand Prix, and Turkey is back in October on a new five-year deal. The losses: Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, a fixture since 1990, drops off and will now alternate with Spa-Francorchamps, returning only in 2028.

There's also a courtesy to motorsport's wider calendar. Next year's F1 dates avoid clashes with the Indianapolis 500 on 30 May and the Le Mans 24 Hours on 12-13 June — a fix after this year's overlaps, and welcome news for fans who like to follow more than one series. Max Verstappen, for one, has said he'd like to race at Le Mans someday.

For race-going travellers, the takeaway is that the Gulf remains the backbone of the F1 calendar, winter trips to Bahrain and Saudi are officially on the books for 2027, and the European swing just gained two more affordable, well-connected options in Portugal and Istanbul. If your dream trip is Barcelona plus a race, book it for 2028 — or catch Madrid instead.