Adelaide proposed as surprising F1 substitute.

      "I contacted Stefano Domenicali."

      The Premier of South Australia has disclosed that he made an ambitious proposal to Formula 1 to bring a race back to the streets of Adelaide after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Peter Malinauskas, who recently established a deal with Liberty Media-owned MotoGP to reintroduce international racing to the capital, stated that he personally reached out to F1's CEO immediately after the escalating conflict in the Middle East led to the cancellation of the April races. "I reached out to Stefano Domenicali," he told Triple M. "I’ve been working on this for a while, and when the events were called off due to the Iran war, I was on the phone to them right away. As soon as it became clear they wouldn’t be racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, I thought, 'This is an opportunity.'" Malinauskas indicated that South Australia was prepared to act swiftly, despite significant logistical challenges. "I mentioned, 'Listen, I’ve got the team, they’ve calculated the numbers. We can set up the track within these timelines,'" he elaborated. Ultimately, Formula 1 turned down the proposal, as organizers decided against scheduling any replacement races for April due to the short notice and the difficulties of transporting teams and equipment back to Australia from Asia. "It was a close call," noted renowned broadcaster Eddie McGuire, who was with Domenicali during the call. "He did everything correctly. In the end, it was Formula 1 that said no." Additionally, the Adelaide street circuit currently does not possess FIA approval for a modern F1 race, presenting another significant hurdle for any last-minute return. "You've got to be in it to win it," Malinauskas remarked. "I wasn't making it public; I contacted them directly." Formula 1 has confirmed there will be no additional races to take the place of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, leaving support series such as Formula 2 and F1 Academy without alternative events. However, the possibility is not entirely closed off. According to Sport Bild, Formula 1 has not eliminated the chance of rescheduling the canceled races later in the year, with one possibility being a tightly packed slot between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix in late September and early October. Such a scenario would, however, pose significant logistical challenges, potentially necessitating compressed race weekends or midweek events.