F1 shares what will actually happen if the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix get canceled
F1 president Stefano Domenicali has shared what might happen if the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi get canceled.
On Sunday, the Hungarian Grand Prix wrapped up the last race before the summer break, with Lando Norris taking his first win of 2026. It was an exciting race at the Hungaroring, where the defending champion finished just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, who is still leading the drivers’ championship by a big margin.
Now, everyone’s looking forward to the summer break as many drivers await news about their future plans. But there’s another big topic grabbing attention. F1 has been having some issues with the race calendar because of the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran.
Earlier this year, the original 24-race calendar was cut down to 22 after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, planned for April, were canceled due to the situation in the Middle East. The Bahrain race has since been rescheduled to October 4 and will take place at the Sepang track in Malaysia, which is close to Singapore—making it a great alternative spot.
Similar concerns now surround the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races, set for November and December. Because of the conflict, it’s uncertain if those races will happen as planned. In a new twist, these two Grands Prix might be moved to Europe since the World Endurance Championship announced it won’t hold its Middle East races at the end of the year.
Domenicali mentioned this possibility in a recent interview with Sky Sports. Still, he hopes the calendar can stay the same and said no decisions will be made before mid-September.
He explained, “We’re in contact with other championships. For example, WEC said they won’t race in the Middle East at year-end and will stay in Europe. We’ll watch how things develop and decide at the right time—likely not before mid-September. For now, the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races are confirmed, but if the situation isn’t clearer by then, we’ll make a decision.”
It’s looking more likely that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races could move to Europe. There’s talk about the Portuguese Grand Prix and the Imola Grand Prix stepping in as replacements. However, that’s just speculation for now—we’ll have to wait and see where the races end up if any changes happen in September.