Formula 1 will end its championship in the Middle East as planned, avoiding what UOL reported would be a massive financial shortfall tied to Liberty Media contracts requiring at least 22 races in a single season.
The series confirmed it has scrapped plans to use Imola as a reserve venue. The final two rounds in Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 will go ahead as scheduled, according to LANCE!.
F1 had previously considered the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy as an alternative due to regional tensions involving Iran and the United States, as Perrengue Mato Grosso reported. Organizers even backed initial preparations at Imola to ensure the mandatory 22-race threshold was met if the Gulf races fell through, according to UOL.
Those contingency preparations would have required much higher investments and early equipment shipments if the deadline had passed without a green light. Instead, risk assessments from the series concluded that Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain stable enough to host the events, UOL reported.
Evaluating Regional Risks
Confidence in the final two stops grew after a MotoGP round ran without incident at the Lusail International Circuit. That event signaled to organizers that the region could safely host motorsport world championships, UOL reported.
European travel advisories for Qatar and Abu Dhabi continue to urge caution without outright advising citizens to avoid the area, leaving travel insurance policies valid. Governments in both host nations have also provided assurances regarding repatriation and assistance should airspace face temporary closures, according to UOL.
“We align with whatever FOM and the FIA decide,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said, according to Grande Prêmio. “If they say it is safe to go and we are going to race, we go and race. If they say no and the trip is canceled, we do not go.”
F1 Officials and Drivers Respond to Venue Changes
Liam Parker, head of communications and corporate relations for Formula 1, said that teams and Imola organizers were informed that the Italian circuit is no longer needed as a backup venue, LANCE! reported. Parker added that holding the finales in the Middle East was always the primary objective.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc declined to take a firm stance when asked in the Interlagos paddock if he felt comfortable traveling to the region under current conditions, hesitating before telling Grande Prêmio, “I prefer not to answer that question.”
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur voiced full backing for the governing bodies during a team principals’ briefing. “I have total confidence in the FIA, FOM and Stefano, so let’s wait and see what we will do,” Vasseur said, according to Grande Prêmio.
The Remaining 2026 Schedule
Before the championship concludes in the Middle East, the series travels to the United States for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21, LANCE! reported. While Kimi Antonelli has already secured the drivers’ world championship and Mercedes has claimed the constructors’ crown, the final three races will determine the remaining positions in the standings, according to LANCE!.
