Motorsport promoters including Formula 1, MotoGP, and the FIA World Endurance Championship have been forced to cancel or postpone events in the Middle East due to unrest.
As yet, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) that runs the Asian Le Mans Series has not released the 2026/27 calendar.
Sepang, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi hosted the series last season, and it was expected that the status quo would remain until the Iran war began.
Uncertainty in the Middle East forced the Asian Le Mans Series to look at alternatives, including Australia.
Speedcafe understands Sydney Motorsport Park and The Bend Motorsport Park were seriously considered for back-to-back events in November before a Sepang International Circuit finale in January. However, those plans were ultimately scrapped due to logistical hurdles.
The Bend hosted the Asian Le Mans Series in 2021, and the Shahin family has made no secret of its desire to have high-profile racing at the South Australian circuit.
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Now organisers are investigating alternatives in Europe. According to Sportscar365, the likes of Paul Ricard in France, Barcelona in Spain, and Portimao in Portugal are considerations.
“We do think it’s [the] most secure way to organise the events, to do it in the south of Europe,” Le Mans Endurance Management CEO Frederic Lequien told Sportscar365
“It doesn’t make sense to maintain Sepang if we do not go to the Middle East. It’s going to be expensive for everyone and we don’t need that at the moment.”
The Asian Le Mans Series calendar is set to be announced once the FIA Endurance Championship finalises its 2026 dates.
The world championship postponed its races in Qatar and Bahrain to the end of the season, though it’s unclear whether those will be able to go ahead.
Barcelona and Monza have been tipped as alternatives for the FIA World Endurance Championship should Qatar and Bahrain be cancelled.
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