Formula 1 will even end the season in the Middle East (and there is no plan B)

Athe risk weight Formula 1 World Championship it should even come to an end with the two rounds planned for the Middle East – GPs of Qatar and Abu Dhabi. And the only alternative that was on the table – Imola – has already fallen.

Tensions in the region continue to be strong, after the attacks that the United States of America and Israel launched against Iran in late February. The Saudi Arabian GP was cancelled, while the Bahrain GP was held in Malaysia. And Dakar 2027 moved from Saudi Arabia to a route between Portugal and Morocco.

But last weekend, the MotoGP World Championship ran into Qatar without major problems. And now the Formula 1 prepares to also risk and head to the Middle East within a few weeks – as long as there is no escalation of the situation until then.

Alternative has definitely been discarded

The information is from the specialized website Motorsport. with, who also writes that security will always be a priority. The only alternative on the table was Imola (Italy), but the deadline for a reply ended yesterday (10 November) and the historical circuit will have been informed that it will not be necessary. Preparations would already be underway, including the assembly of benches.

On the same day, the president of the FIA, Mohammed ben Sulayem, reiterated on social media: “We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. We are fully prepared and committed to providing two exceptional Grand Prix weekends and a spectacular completion of the Formula 1 World Championship. We look forward to welcoming pilots, teams and fans of two iconic circuits for an unforgettable season end”.

What is at stake with the champions already found?

If, for some reason, the conflict escalates and the GPs in the Middle East become unviable, the cancellation will not have extreme consequences for the championships.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) was a champion in the GP of Mexico City a week and a half ago, while last Sunday Mercedes sealed the title of builders in the GP of São Paulo.

In any case, having two less rounds would not be entirely innocuous in sport. The monetary prizes are distributed to the teams according to their position in the World Builders' World Cup.

And at this point, there are still many open positions: mathematically, Ferrari has not yet secured second place, and can be surpassed by Red Bull and McLaren – even though point distances mean it is an unlikely scenario.

However, Red Bull and McLaren (third and fourth respectively) are separated by only 17 points. Racing Bulls can't go beyond fifth, but Alpine can still aim to override the 45 downside points – at the same time it has a 38-point advance against Haas.

There are also very short margins between Haas (seventh) and Audi (eighth), which fit in only three points, and between Williams (ninth) and Aston Martin (tenth), with five points to separate them. The Cadillac, lastly, is still at zero – with less than seven points than Aston Martin.

The calendar to the end

Three rounds left on the Formula 1 schedule to 2026. The next one is a guarantee: the Las Vegas GP in the USA, scheduled for November 20-22 (European Time).

After, from November 27 to 29, it is possible to compete for Qatar's GP, before the end of the season in Abu Dhabi from December 4 to 6.