Imola now appears as the main candidate to host the 2026 season finale if the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix were to be cancelled.
Read more Mercedes changes an engine component on Russell’s car before the Hungarian Grand Prix
The Formula 1 calendar could see a new upheaval by the end of the 2026 F1 season. According to information from The Race, the Imola circuit is now one of the main candidates to host the final round of the championship if the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix cannot ultimately be organized.
Persistent tensions in the Middle East continue to worry the discipline’s leaders. After having severely compromised the chances of a return of the Bahrain Grand Prix to the calendar, the geopolitical situation now casts doubts on the last two events of the season.
F1 still hopes to maintain these events, but is already preparing several backup scenarios to be able to react quickly if the situation were to deteriorate.
Malaysia gets closer, Portugal moves away
In parallel, the holding of a Malaysian Grand Prix on October 4 seems increasingly likely to replace Bahrain.
If this scenario is confirmed, Formula 1 would still wish to maintain a calendar of 22 Grands Prix. In case of cancellation of Qatar and Abu Dhabi, a new race would therefore be organized after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, presumably on December 6, the date initially reserved for the Abu Dhabi finale.
Until recently, the Portimão circuit appeared to be the favorite to host this event. But this option would have lost ground.
Read more The electric starting grid of the Hungarian Grand Prix, shaken up by penalties
The Portuguese circuit, which will officially return to the F1 calendar in 2027 and 2028, would like to continue modernization work on its infrastructure before this return. Organizing a Grand Prix as early as December 2026 would risk delaying this project, which would cool this solution.
A return of Imola that would make sense
In this context, Imola has moved back to the top of the list of circuits considered.
The Italian track is familiar with last-minute returns. It notably returned to the calendar in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, before hosting several editions of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix until 2025. The 2023 event, however, had been cancelled due to the major floods that had hit the region.
Organizing a race in early December would nevertheless constitute a challenge. Average temperatures around Imola then hover around 4 °C, with maximums of approximately 7 °C, conditions not very favorable for bringing Formula 1 tires up to temperature.
Despite this, several elements argue in favor of the Italian circuit. Kimi Antonelli is currently the favorite for the world drivers’ title, Ferrari is fully engaged in the fight for the constructors’ championship, and Imola is also the hometown of Formula 1’s President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali.
A decision could come quickly
The coming weeks promise to be decisive for the 2026 F1 calendar.
The FIA must soon rule on the maintenance of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) rounds scheduled in Qatar and Bahrain. This decision, which will be taken primarily for security reasons, could strongly influence Formula 1’s decision regarding its own events in the Middle East.
In the meantime, the discipline’s officials continue to prepare several alternative plans to be ready to quickly adapt the end of the season if circumstances require it.