F1 2026 season finale Middle East at risk

The F1 2026 season finale Middle East situation is in the spotlight again, and this time the uncertainty feels more serious than ever. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that if the conflict in the region prevents the final rounds from going ahead, the championship will wrap up in Europe instead.

The F1 2026 season finale Middle East situation explained

The 2026 Formula 1 season will end in Europe in the event the final two scheduled races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi need to be relocated because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, F1 president Stefano Domenicali has confirmed. Both races are still officially on the calendar for now. Qatar is scheduled for November 29 before Abu Dhabi hosts the finale on December 6, with both races following the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21 in the final triple-header of the year.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Domenicali insisted he is still hopeful of the calendar remaining as it currently stands, and that F1 will wait until its mid-September deadline before making a decision. For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed,” Domenicali said. “By the way, they are already sold out.” That is a remarkable sign of fan confidence even in uncertain times.

It is worth remembering how we got here. Conflict in the region started earlier in the year and led to the cancellation of the Bahrain GP and Saudi Arabian GP as the FIA could no longer guarantee the safety of drivers, teams, officials, fans and other personnel. As a workaround, Malaysia’s Sepang circuit will host a rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in October, officially titled the “Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.” You can read more about that story in our piece on the Malaysia F1 race set as Bahrain replacement. And it is not just F1 feeling the pressure. The World Endurance Championship has announced that they will not go at the end of the year in the Middle East and they will stay in Europe. We covered that story too, in our article on WEC cancels Qatar round 2026.

Why Imola is the leading backup for the F1 2026 season finale

Imola has been identified as a leading candidate to replace either the Qatar or Abu Dhabi race should Middle Eastern events become unviable. Imola already holds the necessary homologation, has the required Formula 1 infrastructure, and benefits from an organisation experienced in staging a Grand Prix on relatively short notice. Domenicali himself hinted strongly at Italy, saying “the conversation will be in Italian” if changes are needed.

As a result, Formula 1 and the FIA have begun exploring alternative venues to the Middle Eastern races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with Portimao and Istanbul Park in Portugal and Turkey tipped as possible hosts. But Imola remains the front-runner.

The case for more European F1 races

The crisis also raises a bigger question. Why does the F1 calendar lean so heavily on far-flung destinations when Europe has world-class circuits ready to step in? Circuits like Silverstone, France, or the Nürburgring could easily host a Grand Prix and would save teams enormous amounts in transport costs and lost travel time. The European fanbase would certainly be there to fill the grandstands too. It is a point that deserves serious attention from F1’s commercial leadership, not just as a crisis contingency.

What happens to the 2027 F1 season opener?

The uncertainty does not stop at the end of 2026. F1 is to delay an announcement over its 2027 calendar until the autumn, amid uncertainty over whether plans to start next season in the Middle East can go ahead. As part of ongoing contractual commitments, the plan is for Bahrain to take the 2027 season-opening slot on March 14, followed by the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on March 21.

However, owing to the ongoing Iran war in the Middle East and the uncertainty around the fragile peace process, it is possible that F1 could make other arrangements and start the season elsewhere. Domenicali confirmed that the “normal plan” would be followed for the time being, but that in case the Middle East crisis is “not solved, we have options and different plans.”

F1 will keep, in any case, the target of 24 Grands Prix also for next year. Portugal and Turkey have already been confirmed to return to the schedule in 2027. So the racing calendar is still looking full and exciting, whatever shape it eventually takes.

The next race on the 2026 calendar, meanwhile, is the Dutch Grand Prix 2026 at Zandvoort on 23 August. Check out our full race guide for everything you need to know ahead of that event. Stay up to date with every twist in the championship on our F1 results and race reports page.