F1 season to end in Europe if Qatar, Abu Dhabi unable to host due to war
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- Formula One set a mid-September deadline to decide whether Qatar (November 29) and Abu Dhabi (December 6) can host the season's closing races amid the US-Israel war on Iran, with CEO Stefano Domenicali telling reporters Wednesday the venues remain confirmed and sold out for now.
- Domenicali confirmed Italy's Imola circuit — his birthplace and home of Ferrari — is on the replacement list, though he acknowledged weather concerns at that time of year; Las Vegas was considered for a double-header but rejected to avoid clashing with the NFL season and to protect "a jewel that is growing."
- Saudi Arabia and Bahrain April races were already called off due to the conflict, with Malaysia's Sepang circuit now hosting Bahrain on October 4, with the Gulf kingdom footing most of the costs.
- The FIA-sanctioned World Endurance Championship already relocated its final two rounds from Qatar and Bahrain to Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya and Italy's Monza for October and November.
- Formula One is targeting 24 grands prix for 2026 with Portugal and Turkiye returning as new rounds; Bahrain was expected to reclaim its season-opener slot from Australia in March 2027 before the conflict erupted.
- F1 is sticking with one race in China to "consolidate the market" despite rising interest from China and Japan, with broader plans for a 2027 calendar still to be published later this year.
Why it matters: F1 is now racing a hard clock — mid-September — to salvage two marquee Middle East calendar slots, with Imola emerging as the frontrunner despite acknowledged autumn weather risk. Replacing Qatar and Abu Dhabi would end the season several weeks earlier and reset the commercial geography of F1's 2026 broadcast and sponsorship tail, since Gulf-state races carry premium fees F1 has already leaned on to fund its 24-race calendar.
