Formula 1 has ruled out holding a second race in Las Vegas due to two main factors: a possible conflict with the NFL (National Football League), the American football league in the United States, and the bureaucratic difficulties involving customs documentation for British teams after Brexit, the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.
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The idea of holding two races in Las Vegas was considered at the beginning of 2026, but was ultimately ruled out. The race is scheduled for November 21, a period that coincides with weeks 10 and 11 of the NFL regular season. Stefano Domenicali, F1 CEO, emphasized that the category needs to avoid competing directly with the American football league, which has a huge audience in the USA.
“The fascinating part is that, if I look at temperature statistics in Europe at that time, it is less cold than the average temperature in Las Vegas when we are racing there,” Domenicali told the press. “There was the possibility of having two races in Las Vegas, but we don’t want to spoil a gem that is growing, devaluing what we are doing there, and let’s not forget that, at this time of year, we are competing in the USA against the NFL.
“This is a major sport; there are many fans watching, so we need to avoid any situation where we put ourselves ahead of something that, of course, is still very big in the USA.”
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Another obstacle cited by the executive was customs bureaucracy for the nine teams based in the United Kingdom, caused by new requirements after the country’s exit from the European Union: “Therefore, considering the restrictions we have, we need to go back to closing all documentation related to Brexit coming from abroad to the United Kingdom and then moving elsewhere. Thus, the only possibility is to finish in Europe within the same time frame.”
The F1 calendar situation remains uncertain after the Middle East crisis postponed the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs in April. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds, scheduled for November 30 and December 6, still depend on a decision to be made in mid-September.
The Bahrain GP was reinserted into the calendar and will be held in Malaysia. If Qatar and Abu Dhabi are canceled, Formula 1 will hold an extra race in Europe, with Imola and Portimão as possible substitutes.
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