Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that the 2026 season will end in Europe if the ongoing conflict in the Middle East prevents the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi from going ahead as planned.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Domenicali explained that F1 will wait until mid-September before making a final call on the season-ending events at Lusail International Circuit (November 27-29) and Yas Marina Circuit (December 4-6). Both races remain officially confirmed and are sold out, but contingency plans are being drawn up in case the security situation does not improve.
"For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed," Domenicali said. "But of course, if the situation will not be clearer the way that we believe it should be, before the middle of September we will take the decision."
The new complications add to a calendar already reshaped by the conflict. The Bahrain Grand Prix, originally scheduled for April, was postponed and will now take place at Sepang, Malaysia on October 4 — marking the first F1 race in Malaysia since 2017. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled outright, reducing the 2026 schedule to 23 rounds.
Domenicali ruled out ending the season outside of Europe, citing "Brexit-connected documentation" as the key barrier to deploying the necessary personnel and equipment to alternative non-European venues. Several European options are understood to exist, with Italy's Imola circuit considered a front-runner, though Domenicali stressed it is "an option, but is not defined."
The F1 CEO also revealed that a second Las Vegas Grand Prix had been considered as a potential season finale but was dismissed over concerns it would devalue the event and clash directly with the NFL season.
"There was a possibility of having two races in Las Vegas, but we don't want to ruin a jewel that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there," he said.
Looking ahead to 2027, Domenicali confirmed that F1 has contingency plans ready should the Middle East situation remain unresolved, with the calendar to be presented in autumn as a "sort of a normal plan" — but with alternatives ready to trigger if needed.
The championship resumes after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix on August 21-23. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' standings by 50 points from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
Sources
- https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1101987/1/stefano-domenicali-makes-key-announcement-over-uncertain-2026-and-2027-f1
- https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13568025/formula-1-2026-season-to-end-in-europe-if-qatar-and-abu-dhabi-unable-to-host-final-rounds-because-of-middle-east-conflict
