F1 to End 2026 Season in Europe If Qatar, Abu Dhabi Fall
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- Stefano Domenicali said the 2026 F1 championship would end in Europe if the Middle East conflict prevents Qatar and Abu Dhabi from hosting the season finale, with a final decision due by mid-September
- Formula 1 already cancelled April's Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races due to the US-Israel war with Iran; Malaysia will step in for Bahrain's September slot, bringing the season to 21 grands prix
- Domenicali wants an additional race after the Las Vegas GP on 21 November but rejected doubling up in Vegas to avoid competing with the NFL for US viewers
- The 2026 F1 engines, running a 50-50 hybrid split, drew criticism from drivers including Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who compared fast corners to 'charging stations'; Domenicali acknowledged energy-recovery tweaks are coming for 2026 and 2027
- FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is pushing for a return to naturally aspirated V8 engines for the 2030/2031 rules cycle, with the option of imposing his plan unilaterally for 2031
- Mercedes and Audi want turbochargers retained in any future V8 architecture; Domenicali said the sport targets an engine-regulations outline by the end of 2025
Why it matters: F1 has already lost Bahrain and Saudi for April due to the US-Israel war with Iran, with Malaysia substituting in September. If Qatar and Abu Dhabi fall too — despite being sold out — F1 risks compressing its calendar and undermining its commercial target of 24 countries next year, with a European finale now the explicit fallback.
