Drivers voice doubts

Carlos Sainz, who drives for Williams and directs the GPDA drivers' association, was asked at the FIA press conference before the United States Grand Prix in Austin what assurances drivers were receiving for races in the Middle East. He said the governing body seemed very convinced the events would go ahead, but that he personally found it difficult to share that confidence. He pointed to continuing developments in the region, a United States election and other political events that could change matters within the next month or six weeks. Sainz argued that organisers should watch developments closely and react to them, rather than keep to the plans simply because they want to hold the races now. Even so, he said the drivers would follow whatever the FIA and Formula 1 decided was safe.

“They seem very convinced that it's going to go ahead.”

Organisers hold the calendar

The FIA still expects the final two rounds of the 2026 season to take place as planned, with the Qatar race scheduled for 29 November and the Abu Dhabi race for 6 December. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told reporters this week that holding motorsport events in the Middle East was fine. He went further in his remarks about the Gulf fixtures and played down the risk to the events. Formula 1 has also prepared a fallback venue. The Imola circuit in northern Italy would host the finale if Abu Dhabi cannot be staged because the conflict widens again, and an Imola finale would be the first season to end in Europe since 1997. The FIA's World Endurance Championship has already moved its planned Middle East rounds to Barcelona and Monza.

“I can only tell you today that there is nothing, and the two races are going to happen.”

Conflict behind the doubts

The uncertainty traces back to the fighting that followed the attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States in February. In early March Qatar said two drones launched from Iran had targeted its energy infrastructure. The hostilities led Formula 1 to cancel its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Bahrain round was moved to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, where it ran under the Bahrain name earlier this month, while Saudi Arabia remains off the 2026 calendar. In October a strike on Riyadh's international airport killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, and several Saudi sporting events were scrapped in response. Attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement, which Iran supports, have been aimed at Gulf states allied with the United States, chiefly Saudi Arabia. The US State Department has ordered some diplomats and family members to leave its missions in Saudi Arabia and plans to withdraw family members from other US missions in the region. The New York Times reported that US and Israeli militaries have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the midterm elections of 3 November, pending final approval from President Donald Trump. Iran has previously retaliated against US strikes by targeting American installations across the Gulf, among them sites in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.

Motorsport calendar beyond F1

MotoGP says the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit remains on the calendar. The race was postponed from April to 6-8 November because of the regional conflict and would be the 20th round of the season. A MotoGP source told Reuters that preparations continue and that the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved is the first priority. Aprilia's Jorge Martin leads Ducati's Marc Marquez by two points after 17 of 22 rounds, and Martin has said he wants to race in Qatar but only if his safety is guaranteed. In Formula 1, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli holds a 102-point lead, so the championship could be settled before the final two races. Forbes estimated that the cancelled Saudi and Bahrain races cost the two countries $120 million together. Bahrain also paid Malaysia an estimated $68 million in hosting and rights fees to keep the Bahrain name on the Sepang race, according to the same Forbes figures.