F1 Could End 2026 Season in Europe if Qatar and Abu Dhabi Are Cancelled Due to Conflict
Theo Al Jazeera English
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said the 2026 season may end in Europe if Qatar and Abu Dhabi races are cancelled due to the Middle East conflict. The decision deadline is mid-September, with Imola as a potential replacement.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said on July 30 that the championship will finish the 2026 season in Europe if the rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in the Middle East cannot be held due to the war between the US-Israel alliance and Iran. He stated the decision deadline is mid-September.
“We will take as much time as possible to assess how the situation evolves and will take the right decision at the right time,” Domenicali told reporters on July 30.
Earlier, rounds scheduled for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in April were cancelled because of the conflict. Bahrain was replaced by Malaysia’s Sepang circuit on October 4, with the Gulf kingdom covering most of the costs.
The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has also moved its final two rounds in Qatar and Bahrain to Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, and Monza in Italy in October and November.
Qatar is scheduled to host the F1 round on November 29, and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on December 6. Domenicali stressed: “For us now, the events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed. By the way, tickets are sold out. If that is not possible, the end of the season will be in Europe because we cannot go anywhere else.”
He confirmed that Imola circuit in Italy, his home country and also the home of Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli, is among the potential replacement options. Sources indicate Imola, though omitted from this year's calendar, is the leading candidate despite cold weather late in the year.
On the possibility of hosting two rounds in Las Vegas, USA, to finish the season, Domenicali said: “We had the possibility to do two races in Las Vegas, but we don’t want to ruin a jewel that is growing.” He also noted such a schedule would conflict with the official NFL season.
The 2027 calendar has not been announced, but Bahrain is expected to replace Australia as the season opener in March, if the conflict does not occur. Domenicali said F1 will announce the calendar at the end of this year and maintains its target of 24 races annually.
Portugal and Turkey are set to return to the calendar next year as new rounds. Longer term, F1 is in active discussions with potential hosts in Africa, while also receiving interest from Asia and South America. Domenicali concluded: “We have many requests from China and Japan, but for now we want to keep only one round in China to consolidate the market before considering another option.”
