F1 sticks with Qatar and Abu Dhabi finale, stands down Imola back-up

Formula 1 will conclude its 2026 season with the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix as originally scheduled, after telling Italy's Imola circuit on Tuesday that it will not be needed as a reserve venue, BBC Sport reports.

The Qatar race goes ahead on 27-29 November, with Abu Dhabi following on 4-6 December in the United Arab Emirates. Imola had been asked to prepare for the possibility of staging a grand prix on the Abu Dhabi dates in case the two Middle East events could not take place because of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran.

F1 says it remains ready to abandon the races if circumstances worsen before they take place. "If the situation develops negatively in the coming weeks before the events in the Middle East, we will not hesitate to do the right thing and the safety of everyone will always be the priority," a spokesperson for the sport said on Tuesday.

The season has already been disrupted once by the wider conflict. Races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, both pencilled in for April, were affected after the outbreak of the US and Israel's war with Iran - Saudi Arabia's event was cancelled outright, while Bahrain's was postponed and eventually run at Malaysia's Sepang circuit in October.

F1 says it is pressing on with Qatar and Abu Dhabi because the picture in both countries has not "negatively developed" in recent months. Government travel advice still permits visits, insurance remains valid, events are continuing to take place and normal business activity has resumed, according to the sport, which adds that all the teams support finishing the season as planned. F1 also pointed to a MotoGP race held in Qatar last weekend, run by a sport under the same ownership group, as evidence the venue can host safely.

Not everyone within the paddock is comfortable with the choice. Senior figures have told BBC Sport of their unease at travelling to the region, given both race locations sit close to areas of the Strait of Hormuz where missile strikes continue. Saudi Arabia, which borders Qatar and the UAE, remains a target for Houthi rebel attacks from Yemen, and several events there have been cancelled or postponed in recent weeks as a result.

F1 also faces a commercial dimension to the decision. Qatar and Abu Dhabi pay substantial fees to host their grands prix and are woven into the sport through sponsorship and investment, with Qatar's sovereign wealth fund holding a stake in the Audi team.

The dilemma is not confined to motorsport. The DP World Tour has continued to stage events in the UAE despite the US State Department placing the country at Level 3, meaning travellers are advised to reconsider visiting, Yahoo Sports reports. Officials have warned that attacks could strike tourist sites, airports or shopping centres without warning, and golf analysis site Golfshake.com has noted Houthi attacks on civilian airports in the wider region.

Organisers of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai have carried over emergency protocols used at the earlier Abu Dhabi event, under which play is halted and the course evacuated the moment an official alert reaches competitors' phones. The tour has opted against relocating its events despite the advisory, a call Golfshake.com has questioned given the risks to players, caddies, officials and spectators.

For Formula 1, the itinerary now points firmly towards the Gulf to close out the year, with Qatar hosting on 27-29 November before the campaign ends in Abu Dhabi on 4-6 December, barring any change in the security picture that the sport says would prompt it to act.