Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the 2026 Formula 1 season will end in Europe if the war in Iran prevents the Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs from taking place. The category intends to wait until mid-September before making a final decision.
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Both events are scheduled for November 29 and December 6, after the Las Vegas GP, forming a sequence of three races. Although both remain confirmed and tickets are already sold out, the continuation of hostilities raises doubts about F1’s presence in the Middle East this year.
“We will wait as long as possible to see how the situation develops and will make the decision at the right time. This will not happen before mid-September. Today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed and already sold out,” said the F1 president and CEO.
Domenicali explained that if the scenario does not offer the conditions considered necessary, the category will resort to a European alternative. “If the situation is not as clear as we believe it should be by mid-September, we will make the decision. If it is not possible to race in the Middle East, the end of the season will be in Europe, because we cannot go elsewhere,” he added.
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Portimão and Imola appear among the possibilities mentioned to host a replacement round. Domenicali, however, avoided anticipating which circuit would be chosen and emphasized that no option is defined. “There are some possibilities on the table, but I don’t think it’s right to make promises. Imola is among the options, but it is not defined that it will be Imola,” he explained.
The situation comes after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs were postponed from their original dates in April. The Bahrain race was later moved to Sepang, Malaysia, between October 2 and 4, officially keeping the name Bahrain GP and again raising the planned calendar to 23 rounds.
Asked about the possibility of moving the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races to Europe without changing their names, as happened with Bahrain, Domenicali ruled out making this solution a recurring practice. “We have shown that we are creative enough to maintain the calendar, but I don’t believe this can be a long-term approach, because we need to be reliable and consistent,” he concluded.
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