Whether the last two rounds of the 2026 season, the Qatar GP (29 November) and the Abu Dhabi GP (6 December), can go ahead amid the conflict in the Middle East has still not been decided. F1 had said it would decide by mid-September, but that deadline passed without an announcement, and a decision now looks likely to slip to late September or early October. If the races cannot be held the season will end in Europe, with Imola the most widely tipped replacement.
Why it is uncertain
According to Sky Sports, the Middle East conflict has already forced the cancellation of April's Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, and the Bahrain race has been moved to Sepang in Malaysia on 4 October. Motorsport.com wrote that the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States leaves the Gulf races in doubt. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: "If it isn't possible, the end of the season will be in Europe, because we can't go anywhere else," explaining that Brexit-related paperwork limits the alternatives to Europe. PlanetF1 quoted him as saying: "As things stand Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed and both are sold out. But if the situation isn't clear enough by mid-September, we will make a decision."
In a statement on 16 September the FIA said it "continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East together with the promoter FOM and local authorities, and discussions on alternative venues have taken place should they be needed". GrandPrix247 reported on 11 September that the decision could be pushed beyond September into October, and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said "safety will drive the final decision". Abdul Rahman Al Mannai, president of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, said Qatar wants to host the race: "Qatar has been safe for months. The airport is operating at 100%, including transit flights to Asia and Europe."
Imola and Sepang on standby
According to Motorsport.com, Imola's Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari could host a race on 29 November in place of Qatar or Abu Dhabi. The arrangement under consideration would see Qatar keep its calendar slot and promotional budget, the Middle East promoter take sponsorship and ticket revenue, and Imola be compensated for its costs through ACI and Formula Imola. Teams are said to have provisionally booked hotels around Imola just in case. There are concerns, though, that fog in late November could ground the safety helicopter, meaning sessions would have to be brought forward. GrandPrix247 and PlanetF1 expect Imola to host a 6 December finale, so the date varies by source.
According to GrandPrix247, an Imola finale would be the first time a season has ended in Europe since the 1997 European GP at Jerez, and a home finale for Ferrari as it chases its first title since 2008. Portimão and Istanbul have been ruled out because of winter construction work ahead of their 2027 returns. Sepang slots in for Bahrain on 4 October, between Azerbaijan (26 September) and Singapore (11 October), hosting F1 for the first time since 2017. There are also reports that Bahrain is covering the hosting costs. The plan was first reported by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport and confirmed by Reuters through sources at the Hungarian GP.
The race count depends on who's counting
Sky Sports wrote that the loss of Saudi Arabia has cut this year's calendar to 23 races, while PlanetF1 said cancelling Qatar and Abu Dhabi as well would take it from 24 to 22. Motorsport.com noted that Liberty Media needs to keep 22 races to avoid penalties from broadcasters. For now the teams are preparing as planned. Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane said: "Right now it's on the calendar, so we're planning to go. If it comes off the calendar, we'll go somewhere else."
Sources
- Sky Sports — Formula 1: 2026 season to end in Europe if Qatar and Abu Dhabi unable to host final rounds
- Motorsport.com — Imola could make F1 calendar return in place of Qatar or Abu Dhabi GP
- GrandPrix247 — Imola and Sepang on standby to replace Middle East war-affected races
- GrandPrix247 — Decision on Qatar and Abu Dhabi could linger until October as Imola put on standby
- PlanetF1 — FIA monitoring Qatar and Abu Dhabi as Imola emerges as option