Formula 1 waits until September for a decision on Qatar and Abu Dhabi, second Las Vegas race ruled out
LONDON – Formula 1 will not make a final decision before mid-September on whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix can take place as planned at the end of the 2026 season. Championship CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed on 29 July that both races currently remain on the official calendar, but also that the security situation in the Middle East will be decisive for their fate. If the risk assessment is not sufficiently clear and favourable, the championship would conclude at European circuits, with Imola among the options under consideration. At the same time, the idea of Las Vegas hosting two consecutive races and thereby taking over the role of the season finale has been rejected. Formula 1’s management assessed that such a move could weaken the value of the existing event in Nevada and expose it to direct competition from American football during the holiday period.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain confirmed, but without a final guarantee
According to Formula 1’s official calendar, the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail circuit is scheduled for 27 to 29 November, while the season finale is due to take place in Abu Dhabi from 4 to 6 December. Domenicali stressed that both events are currently confirmed and that, according to the information available to the organisation, the sales capacity has already sold out. That, however, is no guarantee that the races will take place if security assessments show that transporting a large number of people, equipment and technical personnel is not acceptable. Formula 1 therefore intends to use almost all of the available time before making a final decision, rather than changing the calendar too early and then adjusting it again. A deadline around mid-September gives the organisers slightly more than two months to implement an alternative plan before the first of the planned final weekends.
Such an approach reflects the complexity of a decision that does not concern only the staging of a sporting event. Every Grand Prix involves the international transportation of cars, spare parts, garage equipment, television infrastructure and hundreds of team members, alongside separate obligations for promoters, suppliers, security services and local authorities. If the location changes, circuit homologation, operational plans, the television schedule, sponsor contracts, ticket sales and spectator travel must all be coordinated. For that reason, Formula 1 cannot wait until the final days before the race, but at the same time it wants to avoid a decision that could prove premature. Domenicali said the championship would monitor developments and decide only when it believes it has a sufficiently reliable picture.
The season has already been changed because of cancellations in April
The uncertainty surrounding Qatar and Abu Dhabi is a continuation of the problems that have already affected the 2026 calendar. In March, the FIA and Formula 1 announced that the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix would not take place in April because of the situation in the region. No replacement was introduced immediately, creating a large gap in the schedule between the Japanese and American rounds. The Saudi race has so far been lost from this year’s championship, while an unusual solution was found for Bahrain. Formula 1 and the FIA announced on 26 July that the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia would host an event from 2 to 4 October under the official name Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The return of Sepang, which last hosted Formula 1 in 2017, has allowed the championship to recover one of the two April races. The event has been placed between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku and the night race in Singapore, creating an intense Asian sequence of three weekends within a short period. The official calendar now contains 23 races, one fewer than the originally planned 24, because the Saudi round has not been reinstated. The Malaysian solution demonstrates how willing Formula 1 is to adapt the traditional identity of an individual race in order to preserve the scale of the season, but also how dependent such a move is on cooperation among national federations, promoters, the FIA and commercial rights holders. Domenicali presented the agreement as an exceptional rather than a long-term solution to a crisis situation.
Europe is the only realistic reserve option for the end of the championship
If Qatar and Abu Dhabi are removed from the calendar, Domenicali says Formula 1 will not seek a replacement in North America, Asia or another distant region. The end of the season would instead be moved to Europe, where there are more licensed circuits, existing infrastructure and shorter logistical routes to the bases of most teams. The CEO also mentioned documentation complications connected with moving equipment through the United Kingdom after Brexit, which further narrows the number of workable combinations at very short notice. After the Las Vegas race, scheduled for 21 November, the next weekend on the current calendar belongs to Qatar, with Abu Dhabi due to follow only one week later. Such a schedule leaves little room for improvisation on another continent.
A European replacement would nevertheless not be simple. Races in late November or early December carry a greater risk of low temperatures, rain, fog and even snow at certain locations, while shorter daylight hours limit the time available for activities at circuits without permanent lighting. Organisers would have to secure staff, marshals, medical services, transportation, accommodation and a sufficient number of spectators quickly enough to make the event operationally and commercially viable. Domenicali, however, rejected the assumption that European weather is automatically less favourable than conditions in Las Vegas, where the night race can also be held in very low temperatures. His message was that meteorological risk exists, but does not in itself rule out a European finale.
Imola is an option, but no decision has yet been made
The most specifically mentioned reserve location is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola. Domenicali, who was born in the Italian city, confirmed that the circuit is among the possibilities, but at the same time stressed that nothing has been defined. Imola was part of the calendar from Formula 1’s return there during the pandemic-affected 2020 season through the 2025 race, but it was not included in the regular 2026 schedule. The circuit has modern infrastructure and recent experience of organising a Grand Prix, making it more practical than a location that would need to be prepared almost from scratch. On the other hand, a date at the transition from November to December would be unusual for a race in northern Italy and would require a detailed assessment of weather conditions.
It has not been officially confirmed whether Imola would replace Qatar, Abu Dhabi or only one of those two races. Domenicali spoke of several options being on the table, but did not want to promise a specific schedule in advance. Formula 1 is seeking to retain as many races as possible, but safety and feasibility will take precedence over the objective of reaching the originally planned 24 events at any cost. Different solutions are therefore possible: one European replacement and a 22-race season, two European replacements and the preservation of the current total of 23, or keeping Qatar and Abu Dhabi if the security assessment improves. At present, the only things that are clear are that Las Vegas will not become a double host and that, in the event of a withdrawal from the Gulf, the final chapter of the championship will be written in Europe.
Why a second race in Las Vegas was rejected
The idea of a double weekend in Las Vegas appeared to be a seemingly simple solution. Formula 1 already has its own operational structure, garages and a street circuit slightly more than six kilometres long there, while all of the championship’s equipment will already be in the city for the race from 19 to 21 November. An additional event could reduce the cost of moving to a completely new location and provide an attractive finale in one of the most commercially important markets. Despite those advantages, Domenicali confirmed that the possibility had been considered and then rejected. Formula 1 does not want to dilute the exclusivity of an event that, since its return in 2023, has built its identity around night-time racing along the Las Vegas Strip, luxury hospitality and a major entertainment programme.
The American sports schedule is also important. The week after the Las Vegas Grand Prix falls within the Thanksgiving period, when the National Football League traditionally attracts an enormous television audience and occupies a large share of the sporting, marketing and media space. Motorsport.com reports that several NFL games are scheduled for the holiday period, including matchups in major markets. Formula 1 would therefore be competing not only for television viewers, but also for sponsorship attention, hotel capacity, spectator travel and local resources. Domenicali concluded that it would make no sense to jeopardise the growth of the existing Grand Prix with an additional weekend that could create weaker demand or market fatigue.
The decision is consistent with the long-term strategy for Las Vegas. In June, Formula 1 announced an extension of the partnership under which races on the city’s streets are expected to continue until 2037, demonstrating that the organisation views the event as a permanent platform rather than a temporary reserve for crisis situations. It is precisely for that reason that the championship’s management wants to preserve the sense of rarity and distinctiveness of one annual weekend. Two races on the same configuration separated by only a few days could fill the calendar in the short term, but could also raise questions about ticket value, the television product and partner interest. Faced with the choice between a short-term solution and the long-term brand, Formula 1 chose to protect the existing event.
WEC has already moved its finale out of the region
In explaining the situation, Domenicali specifically mentioned the World Endurance Championship, whose decisions Formula 1 is monitoring as an important indicator of logistical and security conditions. On 28 July, the FIA WEC announced that the final two races of the season, originally planned for Qatar and Bahrain, would be held in Europe. Barcelona will host a six-hour race from 16 to 18 October, while the finale has been moved to Monza from 6 to 8 November. That decision does not automatically mean Formula 1 must follow the same path, because the dates, number of participants, commercial contracts and security protocols differ. Nevertheless, it shows that another major global motor racing championship has already selected a European alternative for the end of 2026.
Formula 1 wants to retain its own deadline and avoid committing itself in advance to the WEC’s decision. Qatar and Abu Dhabi take place later than the originally planned WEC races, so the championship’s management believes that circumstances could change by the end of November. At the same time, preparations for a reserve option must proceed in parallel so that a European organiser can respond as soon as the decision is made. This means that mid-September is not merely a political or security deadline, but also the final operational point after which it would become increasingly difficult to organise a replacement Grand Prix to a high standard. For spectators and ticket holders, the most important fact is that the official schedule has not yet changed, but the status of the final two races remains conditional on the risk assessment.
What the decision means for the season finale and the 2027 calendar
A possible change of location could also have a direct sporting effect. Qatar and Abu Dhabi have different characteristics from Imola or other European circuits: they are raced in warmer conditions, on wide and modern complexes, with layouts that place different demands on tyres, brakes and aerodynamics. Moving the finale could therefore change the teams’ technical priorities and the way drivers approach the final races of the championship. If the title battles remain open until December, the choice of circuit could become an important competitive factor, although the rules and points system would remain the same. Formula 1 will therefore have to ensure that any replacement meets the FIA’s sporting and safety standards and that all teams receive the same operational information in good time.
The uncertainty also extends to the 2027 season, whose final schedule has not yet been announced. According to Domenicali, the objective remains a 24-race championship, but plans for Bahrain and other events in the region will depend on how the security situation develops. The organisation has more time for next year than it does for the end of 2026, allowing it to prepare alternative scenarios without the immediate pressure of transportation and ticket sales. Nevertheless, this year’s changes have already shown that geopolitical risks can quickly reshape a global sporting calendar. Until mid-September, Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain the official hosts, Imola remains a reserve possibility, and Formula 1 is attempting to maintain a balance among safety, sporting integrity and commercial stability.
Sources:
- Formula 1 – official 2026 season calendar with the dates of the races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi (link)
- Motorsport.com – Stefano Domenicali’s statement on the mid-September deadline, a European finale, Imola and the abandonment of a second race in Las Vegas (link)
- Sky Sports – additional details on possible European replacements, logistical restrictions and the status of the 23-race calendar (link)
- Formula 1 and the FIA – official confirmation that Sepang will take over the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia from 2 to 4 October (link)
- FIA – official announcement that the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia did not take place in April 2026 (link)
- FIA WEC – official decision to move the final races from Qatar and Bahrain to Barcelona and Monza (link)
- Formula 1 – confirmation of the long-term agreement under which Las Vegas will remain on the calendar until 2037 (link)
- Reuters / The Straits Times – report on the deadline for a decision, Imola’s status and the objective of 24 races in the 2027 season (link)