The Finale Stays on the Map: Qatar and Abu Dhabi Will Close Out 2026 After Months of Uncertainty
After Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were dropped from the calendar in April over regional security concerns, F1 says the season’s final two rounds will go ahead after all.
Abu Dhabi © Copyright: Georgi Todorov / LAP.bg
While drivers were busy with rain and self-stalling engines, a very different battle was playing out behind the scenes of Formula 1 — whether the season’s final two races would happen at all. CEO Stefano Domenicali has now given his answer: yes, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are staying on the calendar.
Why there was doubt
The regional situation around Iran forced Formula 1 to rethink its entire Middle East schedule back in April, when the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled outright over security concerns. Naturally, the same question soon attached itself to the season’s last two rounds, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Even four-time champion Max Verstappen publicly questioned whether F1 should be racing in the region at all right now.
Confirmed dates
- Qatar Grand Prix: 27–29 November 2026
- Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: 4–6 December 2026
What Domenicali says
Formula 1 will adhere to the original calendar. Based on the assurances we have received, the final two races will take place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Domenicali stressed that the call rests on “information and assurances available to us – and it is absolutely essential that we have this.” In other words: officially everything is fine, until it isn’t — fairly standard language for a region where things can change with a single phone call.
Based on reporting by TheJudge13 and Sky Sports.
