Formula 1 will hold its final two races of the 2026 season in the Middle East as planned, with Imola no longer an option to host the finale.
The Qatar Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix are the final two rounds on the 2026 F1 calendar, but there has been uncertainty about whether they will go ahead due to the ongoing war in Iran.
Having begun in February this year, the conflict has affected neighbouring nations including Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indeed, Formula 1 has already been forced to cancel the Saudi Arabian GP (originally due to be held in April) and relocate the Bahrain GP (also scheduled for April) to Sepang in Malaysia.
Further uncertainty arose when the World Endurance Championship – another FIA-governed series – moved its final two Middle East rounds to Barcelona and Monza.
Imola told to stand down for F1 finale
Reports suggested that the Imola Circuit in Italy, which has hosted various F1 Grands Prix since 1980, had been readied as a replacement for the 2026 F1 finale should the races in the Middle East not go ahead. Despite this, F1 has continuously asserted that the rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi would take place as planned.
An F1 spokesperson said: “Imola was only an option in the event we made a decision not to go to the Middle East at the end of the season and would have taken place on the Abu Dhabi weekend.
“We cannot let Imola wait indefinitely. Therefore, we have informed them today [10 November] that we will not require them at the end of the season.”
The spokesperson continued: “Nothing has negatively developed in the region and specifically in Qatar and Abu Dhabi in recent months.”
As it stands, the rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are set to take place on 27-29 November and 4-6 December respectively.
FIA: “We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in an Instagram post on Tuesday: “We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
“We are fully prepared and committed to delivering two outstanding Grands Prix weekends and a spectacular conclusion to the FIA Formula One World Championship.
“We look forward to welcoming drivers, teams and fans to two iconic circuits for an unforgettable finish to the season.”
Prior to this decision, F1 had consistently stressed it was monitoring the situation in the region, while teams and drivers have expressed confidence that F1 and the FIA will make the right decision over where to end the season.
At the Azerbaijan GP, Max Verstappen told broadcaster Viaplay that F1 “shouldn’t go” to countries close to war, but later clarified his stance and said the sport should head to the Middle East “under the right terms”.
“I trust that F1 and then the FIA will take the right decision because they will have more information than us, and that’s what we rely on,” he said.
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