Formula 1 has already shown creative thinking in relocating the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix to Malaysia amid ongoing regional conflict, but further difficult decisions remain on the horizon.
Two more races are now under threat, with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix forming the final part of the season-closing triple-header alongside Las Vegas in late November and early December.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that a firm decision on those two events will not be made until mid-September, giving organisers the maximum possible time to assess the evolving situation.
The World Endurance Championship has already acted, announcing it will cancel its own rounds in Qatar and Bahrain at the end of October and beginning of November, choosing to remain in Europe instead.
Domenicali was clear that Formula 1 is monitoring the situation closely, telling select media including Autosport: “We will take the maximum time for us to see how the situation will develop.”
He added: “The races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed. By the way, they are already sold out. That is an incredible sign of how much the sport is bigger than the problem that our world is living.”
Despite speculation in the paddock around a double-header in Las Vegas or an additional race at Circuit of The Americas, Domenicali ruled out any further North American fixtures entirely.
A key reason for avoiding the US is the Thanksgiving holiday falling on November 25-27, with the NFL scheduling five games across the public holiday period, including fixtures in Los Angeles and Dallas.
“Definitely, I can guarantee to you that we will not do any other race in the US,” Domenicali stated, adding that staging two Las Vegas races risked undervaluing what Formula 1 is building there.
Liberty Media, Formula 1’s parent company, also agreed a $3 million settlement this month to resolve a class-action lawsuit from spectators removed from viewing areas before FP1 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Of the European alternatives, Imola is considered the most likely candidate, with Turkey and Portugal both currently undergoing work to reach the standards required for calendar inclusion next year.
Domenicali also pushed back on concerns about cold European weather in early December, noting: “If I look at the statistics of the temperature in Europe in that time, it’s less cold than Las Vegas average temperature when we are racing.”
He acknowledged the unpredictability of weather at that time of year, referencing historical snow at the Nurburgring, but expressed confidence that European conditions should be manageable.
“If the situation will not allow for us to be there, we’re going to finish the championship in Europe,” Domenicali said, making the fallback position unambiguous for teams and fans alike.