Stefano Domenicali confirms F1 season will end in Europe if the Middle East conflict continues

July 30, 2026

The final two races of the 2026 campaign are currently set to be held in Qatar and Abu Dhabi but the sport's president has confirmed that Europe will step in - with the Imola circuit in Italy a strong contender - to conclude the season should war make it impossible to stage Grands Prix in the region.

Domenicali said: "For us today, 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.

"But of course, if the situation will not be cleared the way that we believe it should be, before the middle of September we will take the decision.

"If this will not be possible, the end of the season will be in Europe, because we cannot go in other places."

F1 has already been forced to cancel races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia that were due to be held in April because of the conflict - with Malaysia stepping in to hold a race on the former's behalf in October - and Domenicali is determined to stage another race following the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21.

He said: "There was a possibility of having two races in Las Vegas, but we don't want to ruin, let me put it this way, a jewel that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there.

"And of course, we don't have to forget that in that period of the year, we are fighting in the US against the NFL.

"That is a major sport that is, I don't want to say detracting, but a lot of fans are watching that. So we need to avoid any kind of situation that would put us in front of something that, of course, is still quite big in the US."

The opening race of the 2027 season is set to be held in Bahrain but Domenicali says that contingency plans are in place should the war still be happening then.

The Italian executive said: "So far, the calendar that will be presented, let's say in autumn, will be as a sort of a normal plan.

"But in case the situation in the Middle East will be not solved, we have options, different plan. And the trigger for that, of course, is at the end of the year."