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The sport's bosses were previously forced to cancel April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and announced over the weekend that the Bahrain Grand Prix will now be hosted by Malaysia in October.

Bahrain's inability to host the event in October has raised doubts over whether the final two rounds of the season - in Qatar (Nov 27-29) and Abu Dhabi (Dec 4-6) - will be able to go ahead in their planned locations.

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Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Domenicali insisted he is still hopeful of the calendar remaining as it currently stands, and that F1 will wait until its mid-September deadline before making a decision.

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"With regard to the end of the season, we are in touch with all the other championships," Domenicali said. "And I know that, for example, WEC (World Endurance Championship) has announced that they will not go at the end of the year in the Middle East and they will stay in Europe.

"The way that we are structured is that we will take the maximum time for us to see how the situation will develop, and we will take the decision at the right time. That moment would be not before the middle of September.

"For us, today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed. But, of course, if the situation will not be clearer, the way that we believe it should be, before the middle of September, we will take the decision."

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Formula 1 2026 remaining races

Domenicali explained that the challenges of "Brexit-connected documentation" make Europe the only alternative venue for the final two races, but says there are multiple options within the continent.

"I just want to confirm to you that if this [races in the Middle East] will not be possible, the end of the season will be in Europe, because we cannot go in other places," he said.

"There are some possibilities on the table, but I don't think it's right to make some promises or anticipate certain things, but that's the situation of today.

"Even if I really hope that it will not be the case, if the situation will not allow for us to be there, we're going to finish the championship in Europe."

Imola 'an option' | Second Las Vegas race was considered

There has been speculation that Italy's historic Imola circuit is the front-runner to host if needed, but Domenicali said the track is "an option, but is not defined" as a would-be replacement venue.

It remains possible that Imola and another venue could act as replacement hosts, with Formula 1 keen to get as close to the originally planned 24-round schedule as possible. As it stands, the calendar has been reduced to 23 races with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix lost.

Racing in Europe in late November or early December would come with the risk of cold weather, but Domenicali pointed out that expected temperatures are actually colder for the Las Vegas Grand Prix earlier in November than they are in Europe at that time of year.

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The Italian revealed holding a second race in Las Vegas had been considered but overlooked given the risk of undervaluing the event and going up against the hugely popular NFL.

He said: "The fascinating side is that if I look at the statistics of the temperature in Europe in that time, it is less cool than Las Vegas' average temperature while we are racing.

"It's definitely something that no one knows where the temperature will go and what the weather will be like. I think that actually we see in this situation of how the pollution of the climate change is happening. There's no certainty or anything about that.

"There was a possibility of having two races in Las Vegas, but we don't want to ruin a jewel that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there.

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"And of course, we don't have to forget that in that period of the year, we are fighting in the US against NFL. That is a major sport that is, I don't want to say detracting, but a lot of fans are watching that, so we need to avoid any kind of situation that would put us in front of something that of course is quite still very big in the US."

Any further changes to the calendar could have implications on the title race, which Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli currently leads by 50 points from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with 12 scheduled rounds remaining.

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Signing a winger has been a priority since the departure of Mohamed Salah and Barcola has been on Liverpool's radar for a number of years.

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The 23-year-old has two years left on his PSG contract and has indicated he will not be signing a new one amid frustrations at a lack of game time. The opportunity to join Liverpool is said to appeal to the player.

The key to getting any deal moving will be PSG's willingness to reduce the price tag on the man they bought for around £40m back in 2023.

Valuations of top-level players this summer have been high. Sky Sports News reported on Tuesday that PSG value the France international as high as £145m (€170m). However other sources have now indicated it could be around £128.5m (€150m).

The success of Andoni Iraola's teams at Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano centred around the pace, energy and work-rate from his wingers, so Barcola could be a key piece of the Spaniard's new Liverpool jigsaw.

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The fact Barcola has won nine major trophies in the last two years, including two Champions League titles, shows the calibre of player they are trying to bring to Anfield.

Arsenal also hold an interest in Barcola.

Carra: Barcola is not the Salah replacement Liverpool need

However, Jamie Carragher does not think Barcola is the player to replace Salah at Anfield.

Carragher questioned why Liverpool were pursuing another left winger when, he says, they have no options on the right.

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"He plays on the opposite flank!" Carragher replied to a Sky Sports post on X asking if Barcola can be Salah's replacement.

"LFC currently have three players who could play from the left in Rio Ngumoha/Cody Gakpo/Florian Wirtz and no one who plays from the right."

Replying to a comment, which suggested Rio Ngumoha could play on the right, he added: "Rio has always played from the left so that's obviously his best position.

"Gakpo should move really but who knows. I'm interested to see where Wirtz plays. If he's 10, Dom (Szoboszlai) plays centre mid.

"I'm not sure about that. Need a right winger desperately!"

Why is Barcola wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal?

Sky Sports' Adam Bate:

Bradley Barcola could be the most expensive transfer of this summer window with Liverpool and Arsenal among the clubs chasing the Paris Saint-Germain forward. But why is he so prized? He has achieved plenty already. But there is more to come.

The 23-year-old France international has just won the Champions League with PSG back-to-back but had to be content with coming off the bench in both finals. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's arrival from Napoli in January of 2025 established him as first choice on the left.

But just because Barcola is not a guaranteed starter in Paris does not mean that he is not a guaranteed star. This is a player with pace, physicality and intelligence, someone whose skills have been honed under Luis Enrique. With Barcola, the potential is as vast as the fee.

Read Adam Bate's feature on Bradley Barcola here...

Could Arsenal come in for Barcola amid Vinicius Jr blow?

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Vinicius Junior will be staying at Real Madrid beyond this summer, Sky Sports News has been told.

The Spanish club have no intention of selling him and are confident he will agree a new contract. This is despite the interest of Arsenal, who are monitoring his situation closely with a year remaining on his current deal.

Sky Sports News' Dharmesh Sheth said this week: "Arsenal will continue to keep an eye on Vinicius Jr's situation. He hasn't signed that new contract yet. As it stands, he has a year left on his contract. That's why they are exploring the conditions of a possible deal.

"How Andrea Berta [sporting director] does his business at Arsenal is very clear. It's not about one target and then the risk of that target not coming.

"They try to get their ducks in a row with three or four deals, get as far down the line as they can with as many targets as possible, and then decide which player they are going to go for.

"One of those players is Bradley Barcola. He's intimated to PSG that he's not going to sign a new contract. That's primarily because in the biggest games last season, he was on the bench.

"He doesn't want to go through that again. It looks like he could become available for a transfer." %!s()

The three-time major champion, one of Ireland's most decorated and popular sporting heroes, was a player in the only previous Ryder Cup to be played in his home country in 2006.

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He represented Europe six times in total as a player - including being part of four triumphs - and was previously a vice-captain on three occasions before becoming captain for the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

"Luke and I arranged to meet up at The Open and chatted about it, and we felt we could strike up a good team again," said Harrington.

"Obviously, he was my vice-captain in 2021, and we have worked together as vice-captains in the past. And certainly, I feel I've something to give.

"Luke has a very strong team around him already and he felt that we would work well together.

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"It's something I didn't expect. I honestly didn't think I'd ever wear the European Ryder Cup logo again. So I'm very happy to be part of it.

"The Ryder Cup has been a special part of my life. Representing Europe has always been one of the highlights of my golfing career, and to be able to do it again in this situation, especially in Ireland, is special.

"You wouldn't want to miss out with it being in Ireland, so I'm very pleased.

"I think it will be a spectacular occasion and one of the great sporting events to be played in the country. The whole of Ireland will be behind it, watching it, enjoying it and living it.

"The fans are going to be fantastic, and I think the atmosphere will be second to none."

Donald said: "Padraig is someone I thought about quite a lot, especially with it being in Adare.

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"I've been around Padraig in many Ryder Cup team rooms, as a player, as a vice-captain to his captaincy, and he's been a vice-captain before in the past as well.

"So he brings a wealth of experience, and I do love the fact that there's a connection. He understands the Irish crowds and all that goes with having a Ryder Cup in Ireland. I think it's going to be very special for him.

"He's loved in Ireland with what he's achieved in the game, and that will only bring more energy to our team. We'll get the fans even more behind us, and you know I think that can only be a good thing. I'm very excited to have his expertise."

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Harrington made his Ryder Cup debut at The Country Club in Brookline in 1999 and was ever-present for the next five editions, helping Europe to victory in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010. He contributed a total of 10½ points to the European Team during that period.

He was named as vice-captain for the first time by fellow Dubliner Paul McGinley for the victory at Gleneagles in 2014, a role he returned to in 2016 at Hazeltine National under Darren Clarke and in 2018 for the victory at Le Golf National in Paris under Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.

Harrington then led Team Europe at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, which was postponed by 12 months due to the Covid pandemic in 2020.

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The Rugby Park side were 11th when he was appointed in January, having lost more than half of their league matches, before a run of wins towards the end of the season saw them avoid the relegation play-offs.

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"The feeling is that there's a lot of positivity around the club in terms of their thoughts for the season, in particular because of how well we finished," he told Sky Sports News.

"But that's in the past and it's up to myself, Billy [Dodds] and the rest of the staff to really build a squad that can carry that on.

"If you are standing still, you're effectively going backwards. So we need to definitely try and move ourselves forward.

"We don't want to be in a position we were in last January when I took over. We want to be really positive."

Killie head to McDiarmid Park on Sunday for their Premiership opener against newly-promoted St Johnstone, live on Sky Sports, and McCann is expecting a tricky test.

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"Everybody maybe thinks it might be an easier start because it's St Johnstone and they have just come up from the Championship.

"But I think Simo [Valakari] has a real solid way of playing.

"Like every manager, we're probably not quite at full tilt yet. Not at the top gears and we'll continue to strive to get there.

"But I just think the positivity of last year is a good thing to build on."

Pitch perfect?

Kilmarnock have ripped up the artificial pitch at Rugby Park, returning to grass for the first time since 2014.

It is after top-flight clubs voted to ban plastic pitches from the start of the 2026/27 campaign, although Falkirk have been given an additional season before replacing their playing surface.

"The beauty about our pitch for this season is it's laid on top of what was the astroturf last year, so it's completely flat," McCann added.

"Four weeks ago, five weeks ago, that was just a sandpit. I'm told by the groundsmen that in the next week or so it's going to really thicken up and it'll be a surface that will rival any in the country.

"I know we came in last year and it was really positive winning six out of the eight here at home, it became a bit of a fortress for us.

"But I think it's going to help us with the grass pitch.

"If I'm honest, I think every top league should have the grass pitches.

"This will be one of the finest in the country and hopefully that can benefit how we want to play." %!s()

The emphatic nature of Norris' victory after McLaren brought a significant upgrade package to the Hungaroring has created hope that the Woking squad may have permanently joined the battle for victories, and that the Brit can surge back into title contention.

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Speaking on the latest episode of Sky Sports' The F1 Show podcast, Croft suggested that the crucial factor will be whether McLaren can continue to outperform Antonelli's Mercedes team.

Croft said: "One of the big things coming out of the summer break, can McLaren carry this on? Are they going to put their eggs in a Lando Norris basket? And is it going to come up trumps once again?

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The Constructors' Championship, I think, is still very much up for grabs. The Drivers' Championship, I don't think Lando is that far behind that he can't make up a deficit.

"And seriously, I haven't even gone on holiday yet. I can't wait to get back to business at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. I don't want a three-week break; I want the racing thick and fast!"

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Can McLaren maintain form?

One of McLaren's weaknesses so far this season has been their inability to get full productivity out of the power unit supplied to them by Mercedes, which the Silver Arrows have better exploited.

The fact that Hungary is one of the least demanding circuits on the calendar from a power-unit perspective leaves some doubt as to whether McLaren can replicate the performance elsewhere.

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However, Croft pointed out that the Hungaroring has similarities to Monaco, where Mercedes were still able to win in early June.

"We're 11 races into the season now, and I think McLaren are understanding the power unit way better than they were at the start of the year," Croft said.

"Is it a surprise they did so well in Hungary? Well, on past form, no, they were one-two for the last two years in Budapest.

"But it is a little surprise given how strong Mercedes were in Monaco. I mean, that might be driver-specific in that respect. It might just be that Kimi was exceptional that weekend. But I don't think the Mercedes are necessarily weak at a track like Budapest.

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"What delighted me in terms of stronger competition to the championship leaders, and we want to see this championship go right to the wire because that's way more fun, was that McLaren's upgrade worked.

"They've taken their time this year to play catch-up, but they are now catching up, I think. And I think the signs were there right from the start as Lando built up the pace into the weekend that this was a good upgrade, they had the pace, and they were ready to challenge Mercedes."

Bernie: All to play for after summer break

There remains some doubt over whether all 12 of the remaining scheduled rounds will be able to go ahead due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, but Sky Sports F1's Bernie Collins thinks there is time for Norris to turn things around regardless.

"I think this year is going to be about upgrades," Collins said on The F1 Show podcast. "It's going to be about who can get on top of these cars, who can get the best out of the cars, the best out of the engines.

"At the moment as the calendar sets, we've done 11 rounds; we've got 12 still to go. So there's still lots and lots of points on the board."

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Max Verstappen trailed then championship leader Oscar Piastri by 104 points with nine rounds remaining last season, before fighting back to ultimately finish just two points behind title winner Norris in the final standings.

Collins added: "We've seen McLaren this weekend at least have a little bit of the upper hand. And maybe Mercedes have been a bit distracted with each other in some of the earlier races as well.

"So, I think that it's still all to play for. I think you've pretty much got three cars, maybe Verstappen as well in that fight, that I think who knows as we go through later races who will be at the front week in, week out. And that's really interesting to watch."

The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23, with every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime %!s()