Formula 1 Points to Qatar and Abu Dhabi for 2026 Season Finale as Domenicali Cites Security Assurances
Formula 1 is preparing to close its 2026 campaign in the Middle East. Chief executive Stefano Domenicali has indicated that the final two rounds of the championship will be staged in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, ending weeks of uncertainty over how the season would conclude.
What Domenicali Said
Speaking to Sky Sport F1, Domenicali explained that the calendar has been settled and that the two Grands Prix expected to close the season are those already scheduled in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. In translated reports of the Italian-language interview, he described the decision as “the direction we have taken”, reached on the basis of the information available to Formula 1 and the assurances the sport requires.
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Precision matters here. Domenicali’s phrasing signals firm intent rather than a formal announcement, and reports indicate that the official decision is expected within roughly a week. Because the English wording circulating online is a translation, individual outlets render his sentences slightly differently. The substance, however, is consistent: the sport is proceeding with its original plan, provided the safety assurances hold.
The Scheduled Dates
According to published schedules, the Qatar Grand Prix is due to take place at Lusail from 27 to 29 November. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will follow at Yas Marina Circuit from 4 to 6 December, the venue that has closed the championship in recent seasons. Formula 1 continued to list both events on its official calendar throughout the period of uncertainty.
Why the Finale Was in Doubt
The final rounds were placed in question by ongoing security concerns across the Middle East. While Formula 1 kept both events on its calendar, it also prepared an alternative plan in case travel to the region was no longer considered possible. Domenicali had previously said that, if racing in Qatar and Abu Dhabi became impossible, the end of the season would move to Europe.
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This is not the first time regional security has shaped the sport’s planning. In mid-2025, after Iran fired missiles at a United States airbase in Qatar, Domenicali said Formula 1 was in daily contact with Middle Eastern promoters and monitoring developments closely, while acknowledging that situations can change quickly. Continuous assessment appears to remain part of the sport’s approach.
The alternative, had it been needed, would have been demanding. Earlier reporting highlighted that finding replacement venues in Europe during December presents genuine difficulties because of winter weather, even though some southern circuits offer milder conditions. Relocating a pair of races at short notice also involves complex questions of broadcast production, logistics and ticketing. Against that background, the preference to honour the original schedule is understandable.
The Imola Question
Speculation had suggested that Imola might return as a European alternative. According to reports, that prospect has now receded, with the Italian circuit expected to remain off the 2026 calendar once the official announcement is made.
What It Means for the Paddock
For teams, the direction offers logistical clarity. Freight, travel and personnel plans for the closing weeks of the season can be finalised with greater confidence than while two scenarios remained open. For the promoters in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, it represents a significant endorsement of their ability to host a global event. For supporters, it means the championship story is likely to unfold on familiar ground, with the title fight potentially reaching its conclusion under the Yas Marina floodlights.
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Qatar and Abu Dhabi have both become established fixtures of the closing weeks of the calendar, which helps explain the weight placed on the assurances Domenicali mentioned. Losing either venue would have forced a significant reshuffle at precisely the moment when the sport is at its most scrutinised.
For drivers and teams still fighting for positions in both championships, every remaining point carries weight, and certainty over the venues removes one variable from the final stretch of the year. Certainty remains conditional.
The Limits of the Assurances
The assurances Domenicali referenced are conditional by nature. The reports reviewed do not detail their content, and Domenicali himself described the approach, in one translation, as a strategy to be applied until the end of the year.
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That wording suggests the situation will remain under review, and the final word rests with the official statement from Formula 1.
How This Report Was Compiled
This report draws on Domenicali’s comments to Sky Sport F1 as relayed by GPKingdom and News.GP, together with calendar details published by Paddock News 24, and on earlier coverage from Gulf News and Malay Mail. Because the primary interview was conducted in Italian, quotations are treated as translations and are kept brief.
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This account should be read alongside the official statement when Formula 1 publishes it.
What Happens Next
The next milestone is the formal announcement, which reports suggest will arrive within the coming week. Until then, the most accurate description of the situation is that Formula 1 has chosen its preferred route and is acting on it, while retaining the flexibility that weeks of uncertainty have taught it to value. Readers should rely on official Formula 1 and FIA communications for the definitive calendar.
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