Formula 1 remains entirely unmoved in its intention to end the 2026 season in the Middle East as planned, as Crash.net reports. Uncertainty has hung over the viability of the final two scheduled races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi for several months due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
At the end of last month, F1 teams suggested that a mid-October deadline had been set for a final call on whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi back-to-back will take place on 27-29 November and 4-6 December. Audi chief Mattia Binotto said at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September that mid-October is the last call for such a decision. Now firmly in the mid-October range, no announcement has been made, and sources have indicated there will be no announcement unless something changes.
According to the UK government, it is currently fine to travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though British nationals in the Middle East are advised that they should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures, and potential travel disruptions. The current foreign travel advice for Qatar notes that the US and Iran announced a memorandum of understanding on 17 June in relation to the conflict in the Middle East, though the situation remains unpredictable. Since 8 July there have been strikes and retaliatory attacks by Iran in a number of locations across the region, including Qatar, against US military and civilian infrastructure, alongside risks of more attacks and unforeseen escalation. Separate to the US-Israeli war with Iran, Saudi Arabia has faced attacks from Yemen's Houthi movement in recent days, with Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport hit on several occasions in attacks that included a recent one killing 13 people and injuring 300, and a 13 October missile launched by the Houthis hitting a building owned by Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco. It is worth noting that the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix went ahead despite a missile attack on an oil depot close to the Jeddah circuit.
F1 has not publicly commented on the situation, but during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, CEO and president Stefano Domenicali stated that the calendar is confirmed and the last two Grands Prix will be in Qatar and Abu Dhabi based on the information and reassurances they have. Sources within F1 teams have acknowledged the possibility for logistical headaches caused by potential travel disruptions, however, they expressed trust in the FIA and F1 to take the right decisions regarding the calendar. It is understood that only a full escalation in the region similar to what was seen at the start of the year, and ultimately led to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix, would impact F1's plans.
If the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races cannot go ahead, F1 has a back-up plan to stage the season finale at Imola. Otherwise, it is very much business as usual. Perhaps a first indication of whether F1 will go to the Middle East will come from MotoGP, which is due to head to Qatar on 8 November, three weeks before F1's visit.
