Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that the 2026 world championship will end in Europe should the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be unable to proceed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking on Wednesday, Domenicali told reporters that F1 has set a mid-September deadline to assess whether the Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled for November 27-29, and the Abu Dhabi finale on December 4-6 can go ahead. "For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed. But of course, 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. "And in that respect, I just want to confirm to you that if this will not be possible, that the end of the season would be in Europe."
The sport has already been forced to cancel races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier this season because of safety concerns linked to the Iran war. The Bahrain Grand Prix has been rescheduled to Malaysia for October 4, leaving the calendar at 23 rounds rather than the originally planned 24.
Domenicali said Europe is the only viable alternative because of "Brexit-connected documentation" requirements that complicate hosting outside the continent, though he declined to name specific replacement venues. Italy's Imola circuit is understood to be an option, but the Ferrari-owned track is "an option, but is not defined." Multiple European venues could be used if necessary as F1 tries to preserve as close to the full schedule as possible.
The F1 chief also revealed that a second race in Las Vegas was considered but rejected to avoid devaluing the event and clashing with the NFL. He noted that temperatures in Europe in late November are actually milder than those in Las Vegas earlier in the month.
Looking ahead to 2027, Domenicali said the calendar to be presented in autumn would be a "normal plan," though contingency options exist if Middle East tensions persist. He confirmed plans remain for 24 Grand Prix races next year.
The championship resumes after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli currently leads the standings by 50 points from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with 12 rounds remaining.
Sources
