F1 weighs Middle East race plans as Imola emerges as backup option

Formula 1 reportedly intends to conclude its 2026 season in the Middle East as scheduled, with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix remaining on the calendar despite regional hostilities. Imola has reportedly been considered as a possible backup venue

New Delhi: Formula 1 intends to conclude the ongoing season in the Middle East as scheduled, despite hostilities in the region.

With six races remaining, the season is set to conclude with a triple-header comprising Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with the final two races scheduled to take place in the Middle East. The status of the last two races has remained uncertain amid tensions in the region.

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This comes after Audi team principal Mattia Binotto stated that a final decision on the races would be taken in mid-October. “As we discussed during the F1 Commission last Monday, mid-October is the last call for such a decision,” Binotto said at a press conference in Baku on September 24.

However, an ESPN report stated that F1 intends to conclude the season as scheduled. It added that the sport had been in contact with the authorities in both countries and that, as of October 15, plans to conclude the season in the Middle East remained unchanged.

Amid the uncertainty, Italy’s Imola circuit has been preparing its grandstands as a backup option in case the Middle East races are called off. In that scenario, the two races would be replaced by a single race at Imola, with one race dropped from the calendar.

The sport has now pushed back against the idea of confirming a change in the venue for the end of the 2026 season, contrary to earlier reports. For now, the Middle East races remain on the calendar unless the governing body announces otherwise.

F1 cancelled the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the Bahrain Grand Prix in April amid the war in the Middle East. The Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated to Malaysia earlier this month, while the Saudi Arabian race was cancelled altogether.

Speaking during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races remained on the calendar.

“Yes, as we’ve already said, the calendar is confirmed: the last two Grands Prix will be in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

“This is the direction we’ve taken based on the information and reassurances we have — and which we absolutely must have, of course. It’s the strategy we’ll apply until the end of the year,” he said.