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As of today, Formula 1 and Liberty Media maintain that the final two rounds of the 2026 World Championship in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as scheduled. Just yesterday, details emerged regarding the music acts set to perform at the Abu Dhabi circuit during the race weekend.
At the same time, however, numerous countries and companies are advising their citizens and employees to leave the Middle East amid concerns over potential strikes by Iran following the US midterm elections on November 3.
The deadline to determine whether the final two races will take place—or if Formula 1 will replace them with a single event at Imola—has reportedly been set for November 9. This marks yet another postponement, with the decision date pushed from September 15 to October 16, and now to November 9. Time is running out rapidly, as the two Middle Eastern rounds are scheduled for November 29 and December 6.
According to reports in Italy, the verdict regarding Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be reached following the US elections, and the prospective race organisers at Imola have been informed they will know the outcome by November 9.
Meanwhile, Dutch media outlets have reported that Formula 1 teams have already been unofficially briefed that the paddock will not be travelling to the Middle East, with the season finale to be held at Imola instead.
None of these reports have been officially confirmed. The first real litmus test could come within days, as the next round of MotoGP is scheduled to take place in Qatar next week, and it remains to be seen how that race will unfold.
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