[Rumour] Qatar and Abu Dhabi push back on an Imola finale; decision slips to October

A plan to replace the last two races of the season, the Qatar GP (29 November) and the Abu Dhabi GP (6 December), with Imola because of the situation in the Middle East seemed to be firming up, but Italian outlets report that the promoters of both races are digging in, insisting it is "safe". The decision deadline, originally mid-September, has been pushed back to early October. Imola has already begun preparing, and Sepang is also mentioned as a candidate.

Credibility: high — First reported by: the Imola replacement plan by La Gazzetta dello Sport; the pushback from Qatar and Abu Dhabi and the delay to October by f1ingenerale, Motorsport.com Italy (Franco Nugnes) and Motorionline. Picked up by: PlanetF1, GPBlog, grandprix247, ScuderiaFans, News.GP and others. Response: the president of Qatar's motor federation publicly countered that it has been "safe for months"; the FIA confirmed "discussions on alternative venues have also taken place"; Domenicali says "Imola is one of the options, nothing has been decided". In one line: multiple reports that teams have booked Imola hotels for 6 December line up with an official FIA statement.

The decision is reported to have been pushed back to between Sepang (4/10) and Singapore (11/10). Imola is preparing with 6/12 in mind. Data: GrandPrix247, Motorsport.com Italy, ScuderiaFans.

Why Imola

This year's Saudi Arabian GP did not take place, and the Bahrain GP will be held at Sepang in Malaysia on 4 October as 'the Bahrain GP in Malaysia'. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said in July that "if we can't go to the Middle East, we'll finish the season in Europe", and set a deadline: if the situation was not clear by mid-September, a decision would be made. According to grandprix247, the Imola plan was first reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, and Reuters confirmed after the Hungarian GP that it was being considered. PlanetF1 (Michelle Foster, 16 September) reported that the likelier plan is for Imola to take Abu Dhabi's 6 December date, cutting the season from 24 races to 22, and the FIA issued a statement saying it "continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East together with the promoter FOM and local authorities. Discussions on alternative venues have also taken place should they be needed." Motorsport.com, however, wrote in August that Imola could take Qatar's 29 November slot, so the date varies by outlet.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi: "it's safe"

Neither host is backing down. According to grandprix247 (11 September), Abdul Rahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, president of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, said "Qatar has been safe for months. The airport is operating at 100%," while FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said safety would be the deciding factor. Motorionline (Peppe Marino, 17 September) reported that Qatar, having lost its WEC round, is determined to keep MotoGP and F1, and that Abu Dhabi has no intention of giving up the finale either. F2 CEO Bruno Michel's confirmation that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds will go ahead as planned is also said to strengthen both venues' hand. Motorsport.com Italy (19 September) noted that Abu Dhabi is particularly reluctant to give up the finale, and that Liberty Media faces heavy contractual penalties with the Gulf states.

A decision in early October, with Sepang also in the frame

Motorionline reported that Liberty Media and the FIA have put off the final decision to early October, between the Malaysian and Singapore rounds, and Motorsport.com Italy likewise wrote that "at Monza the deadline seemed imminent, but it will run into the first days of October". In the meantime Imola has started organisational work aimed at 6 December, and every team has booked hotels near Imola for that weekend, according to ScuderiaFans and Motorsport.com. News.GP, citing Corriere dello Sport (Fulvio Solms), went as far as saying Imola has already been awarded the race and the announcement is being held back only over contract and insurance issues, but Domenicali's position is that "Imola is one of the options and nothing has been decided". Besides being confirmed as Bahrain's replacement, Sepang has also been named by grandprix247 alongside Imola as a possible stand-in for the finale. Imola in December brings its own variables: daytime temperatures of 8–10°C and 1–3°C at night, fog, and grandstand capacity reduced by winter ground conditions. After Saturday's Azerbaijan GP the next stop is Sepang, so the clock on the decision is set for straight after that.

[Rumour] Qatar and Abu Dhabi push back on an Imola finale; decision slips to October

Why Imola

Qatar and Abu Dhabi: "it's safe"

A decision in early October, with Sepang also in the frame

Sources

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