F1 stick with Qatar and Abu Dhabi season finale as Imola stands ready to step in

Formula 1's official position remains unchanged: Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 will bring the 2026 season to a close, and no announcement has been made to say they won't happen. But with mid-September — the window F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had earmarked for a final call — now arrived, the uncertainty hanging over the season-ending Middle East double-header has only intensified.

The roots of the doubt trace back to February, when the outbreak of war in Iran led to the year's first two Middle East races, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, being called off in April. A ceasefire in June created hope that Bahrain could be restored to the calendar, but the resumption of hostilities scrapped that plan. The 'Bahrain Grand Prix' will still take place on October 4 — only it will be held in Malaysia.

Domenicali's most recent public update came in early August, when he said the sport would take "maximum time" to decide whether to go ahead with the two races, outlining mid-September as the likely moment for a decision. That deadline has now passed with the position unchanged. Last month, Abu Dhabi's tourism board issued a statement saying F1 had confirmed the season finale at Yas Marina would take place, including a quote from Domenicali saying F1 would "stay focused on delivering the calendar we promised at the beginning of the year."

There is, however, a big difference between wanting to deliver the calendar proposed at the start of the year and actually doing so. The official line is that the calendar is unchanged and things are continuing as scheduled — a stance F1 maintains for all its partners and for the teams.

Prize money and the cost of losing a round

Losing the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races earlier this year made a small dent in teams' finances. A significant chunk of their revenue comes from prize money payouts — Formula One Management pays around half of its revenue back to the teams — which are funded by income from sponsorship deals, media rights agreements and, importantly, race hosting fees.

Any replacement round, such as Imola, would still pay a fee, but it is unlikely to match what Qatar or Abu Dhabi contribute to the coffers each year. Decision-makers must also weigh the geopolitical context and whether returning to the region ultimately proves viable, as well as the optics of staging such a big international event there. The sport has stayed in close contact with authorities in the area throughout the conflict, ensuring it is as informed as possible before making any call.

Promoters pressing ahead as normal

Qatar and Abu Dhabi have both continued to market their races as though all will proceed as normal, pushing ticket packages to fans via social media. Abu Dhabi has even announced a concert line-up featuring Lewis Capaldi, Zara Larsson and Imagine Dragons. It may seem strange given the continued questions, yet proceeding with everything as planned suggests the promoters think they are in a position to deliver their grand prix.

Imola waits in the wings

Domenicali said in a call with reporters before the summer break that if the two races in the Middle East could not go ahead, the season would finish in Europe. The anticipated alternative is Imola in Italy, which hosted the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in recent years before dropping off the 2026 schedule.

Imola needs to know sooner rather than later if it is the stand-in. Getting the track ready to host an F1 weekend at short notice — complete with all the grandstands, facilities and security protocols — takes time, on top of trying to drum up ticket sales for fans wanting to attend any hypothetical season finale.

Teams flexible, but eager for clarity

The teams are already building in contingency, with backup hotel reservations made for Imola in case it does become the final race. But not knowing whether there are eight or nine races left in the season also has a wider impact on their preparations. Ayao Komatsu, the Haas team principal, explained at the Dutch Grand Prix that the lack of certainty about the end of the season could affect budgeting and planning for the rest of the year, making an early decision preferable.

"But everybody is in the same boat," Komatsu said. "And of course Stefano is doing his best to try to have those two races, so trying to delay a decision as late as possible."

Some of Komatsu's peers shared faith in the leadership's ability to make the right call when they spoke about the topic in Madrid last week.

"We'll be guided by Stefano (and) by the FIA," Racing Bulls chief Alan Permane said. "We're a way off yet. We're honestly not that concerned, certainly from a logistics or a cost cap point of view."

"You always need a Plan B," said Aston Martin chief trackside officer Mike Krack, who pointed to F1's flexibility in rearranging the calendar through 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic as proof of its ability to handle calendar shifts. "Stefano and the FIA, they will take the right decision, and there's not so much we need to worry about."

Recently appointed Cadillac team principal Marcin Budkowski also highlighted that having a European race as a back-up instead of a flyaway event would reduce the burden on teams if plans change.

The knock-on effect into 2027

Whatever happens at the end of 2026 will likely ripple into the start of next year — testing is set to begin in Bahrain at the end of February, with the new season starting there on March 14. It may be business as usual as F1 looks to 2027, but there will be an unavoidable spotlight on how this season ends.