Former Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner believes it would be a risk for the category to end the 2026 season at a European circuit if the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds need to be canceled due to the conflict in the Middle East.
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Formula 1 has already had to change its calendar this season after the postponement of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs. The Bahrain GP was rescheduled for early October but will be held at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, keeping only the name of the race.
For Steiner, finding alternatives is not simple, mainly because few circuits have the infrastructure to host a category race with little preparation time. “It’s difficult because there aren’t many circuits capable of doing this. It was only possible because Bahrain helped,” he said on the Red Flags podcast.
Although Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still scheduled to close the championship, the ongoing conflict raises doubts about the holding of these races. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has already confirmed that, if necessary, the championship will end with a round in Europe.
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Steiner, however, considers this possibility problematic because of the weather conditions at the end of the year. “In Europe, in November and December, it doesn’t make sense to race. The risk because of the weather is very high. It is also necessary to go to a place that makes sense for the teams, so they don’t just lose money. It’s a business and there needs to be a financial return,” he said.
“They did this with Malaysia to ensure at least more than 20 races. I’m sure Stefano would like to have at least 22 rounds, but I think it’s very difficult to find a place to host this 22nd race at the end of the year,” he concluded.
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