The possibility that Formula 1 could end the 2026 season in Europe worries Guenther Steiner. The former Haas boss believes that weather conditions represent the biggest obstacle if the championship needs to replace the traditional final stage in Abu Dhabi.
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This possibility began to be considered due to the uncertainties caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Recently, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stated that the category intends to make a definitive decision by mid-September if the situation in the region remains undefined. According to the CEO, if changes are necessary, the substitute circuits will be in Europe.
During an appearance on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner assessed that racing on the European continent between November and December would be a risky bet: “I don’t think it makes sense to race in Europe in November or December. The weather-related risk is very high. I don’t believe there are many options. You need to go to a place that makes sense for the teams, where they are not just losing money. There also needs to be revenue. This is a business,” he said.
The former executive also highlighted that any alternative needs to be financially viable, and not just serve to keep the calendar full. In his assessment, finding a circuit capable of hosting a race at the end of the year would be a challenge, even with Formula 1’s desire to maintain a robust calendar.
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Steiner explained that including Malaysia as a contingency option helps ensure the championship maintains more than twenty races if the schedule needs to be changed. Still, he considers it difficult to reach the twenty-two rounds desired by Domenicali: “I think it will be complicated, but that’s why they put Malaysia as an alternative, to guarantee at least more than twenty races. Stefano would like to have at least twenty-two, but I believe it is difficult to find a 22nd place to race at the end of the year,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Domenicali has already stated that Formula 1 continues working with the goal of holding a twenty-four round calendar in 2027. The executive also highlighted that alternative plans are ready to be implemented if the situation in the Middle East continues to prevent races from taking place in the region next year.
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