Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Formula 1 has drawn up a Europe-based fallback to end the 2026 season if conflict in the Middle East prevents Qatar and Abu Dhabi from hosting the final races, with president and CEO Stefano Domenicali saying a decision will be taken by the middle of September.
Domenicali told F1 media that both events remain on the calendar for now and that demand has not weakened. “For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed,” he said. “By the way, they are already sold out.” But he made clear the championship cannot wait indefinitely for clarity. “If the situation will not be cleared the way that we believe it should be, before the middle of September we will take the decision,” he said. If that happens, “the end of the season will be in Europe, because we cannot go in other places.”
He did not name a replacement venue on the call, but Imola is understood to be the strong front-runner if Formula 1 needs a European host for the final race of the year.
The contingency plan follows earlier disruption to the 2026 calendar. Formula 1 already canceled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix that had been scheduled for April because of the war, and Bahrain’s slot was reassigned to Malaysia in September. That kept the schedule at the 21 grands prix needed to satisfy commercial commitments.
F1 is also determined to keep a race after the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21, which makes replacing the Gulf events more complicated than simply adding another stop in the United States. Domenicali said a second Las Vegas race was considered but rejected. “There was a possibility of having two races in Las Vegas, but we don't want to ruin, let me put it this way, a jewel that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there,” he said.
He also pointed to the challenge of competing for attention in the American market late in the year. “And of course, we don't have to forget that in that period of the year, we are fighting in the US against the NFL,” Domenicali said, adding that F1 needs to avoid putting itself directly up against a sport that still commands a huge audience there.
The uncertainty is already shaping longer-term calendar planning. Domenicali said the 2027 schedule due to be presented in autumn will be built around a normal plan, with Bahrain set to return as the opening race after two years in Australia because of the timing of Ramadan. But he said Formula 1 has alternative scenarios ready if the Middle East situation is still unresolved, while keeping a target of 24 races for next season.