F1 2026: Imola stood down, finale in Qatar and Abu Dhabi

Formula 1 has informed the organisers of Imola that the Italian circuit will not be needed at the end of the season. The 2026 championship is therefore set to finish as planned with the Qatar Grand Prix on 29 November, followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 6 December.

Imola, a Plan B that will not happen

Imola was only an option if F1 decided not to go to the Middle East at the end of the year. The race would have replaced Abu Dhabi, on 6 December. According to The Race, F1 was ready to underwrite the cost of this back-up event, estimated at between $10 million and $15 million, and had already paid for early preparations on site.

Crunch time came this week: either confirm major infrastructure work or stand the preparations down. An F1 spokesperson explains that the circuit could not be kept waiting indefinitely, so it was told it would not be required.

F1's arguments

F1 says nothing has recently deteriorated in Qatar or Abu Dhabi. It points to several factors:

• travel advice still allows travel;
• travel insurance remains valid;
• events are taking place there, for example MotoGP in Qatar last weekend;
• the teams support concluding the season as planned.

According to The Race, the Liberty Media chief executive travelled to that MotoGP round to better understand the situation, and F1 has personnel on the ground in Doha and Abu Dhabi.

A reversible decision

F1 does warn that nothing is set in stone: if the situation worsens in the weeks before the events, it says it will not hesitate to do the right thing, with everyone's safety remaining the priority. The Race notes that dropping Imola also gives F1 two more weeks of breathing space until the Las Vegas Grand Prix, before personnel and freight need to move to the Middle East.

What about 2027?

The Race reports that monitoring will continue, as the 2027 season is due to start in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. If Saudi Arabia cannot host its race, Bahrain could open the season on 14 March, followed by the Australian Grand Prix on 4 April. If Bahrain cannot take place either, a Sepang scenario like the one used in 2026 would be considered. Nothing needs to be decided before the start of next year.

The editorial team