As Autosport reports, Formula 1 has officially told Imola that its services will not be required in December. The Italian track had been lined up as an alternative season finale on the first weekend of December in case Qatar and Abu Dhabi were unable to host their respective events. November 10 was the deadline for F1 to give Imola a final answer on whether it needed to prepare for a grand prix in the next three weeks, and the answer is no.
The uncertainty stems from the Middle Eastern conflict, which started in late February when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran and destabilised the region. The disruption has already hit motorsport hard, with F1's Saudi Arabian race cancelled and the Bahrain round postponed and hosted in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Lusail ran its MotoGP round without major issues last weekend, although both Yamaha teams withdrew from the competition due to the geopolitical situation.
If things were to get more dangerous and we would get that feedback, then he's going to be the first one, together with Mohammed, to protect the people that were meant to travel,
Now, the 2026 season will conclude with the planned Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi triple-header. Travel insurance and government travel advice currently permit it. However, there is no plan B if the situation deteriorates further, and F1 insists it will prioritise safety if the Iran war escalates.
Team bosses are putting their faith in the leadership. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur made his stance clear in Mexico: “Me, personally, I want to race. It doesn't matter where, but I want to race. Now, I will go where they will tell us to go.”
Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff echoed that trust during a press conference at Interlagos, noting that Formula 1 relies on international guidelines, travel restrictions, and local government feedback. “If things were to get more dangerous and we would get that feedback, then he's going to be the first one, together with Mohammed, to protect the people that were meant to travel,” Wolff said.
F1
F1
