F1 Cancels Imola Plans, Pushes for Qatar and Abu Dhabi Season Finale

It appears that we're going racing in the Middle East after all. 

After several months of mulling over where to stage the 2026 season finale, Formula 1 has reportedly cancelled this year's plans to return to Imola. The decision means that the championship will stick to its original dates and venues: the Qatar Grand Prix in Lusail on November 29 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Yas Marina on December 6. 

Moreover, there's a chance that the final race will be held during the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22. It is the first leg of the season-ending triple-header. If there's a heightened alert for safety and security in the Middle East, especially in the days before the Qatar GP, F1 might be forced to cancel the last two races in the 2026 calendar.

F1 tapped Imola as a backup venue in case they cancel the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran created serious uncertainty over the safety of holding major sporting events in the Middle East. 

In 2025, a total of 339,000 fans attended all associated race-week events during the Abu Dhabi GP. That number doesn't include the hundreds or thousands of people working for the F1 teams (including the drivers), the stewards, and the organizers.

The sport had already cancelled the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was originally scheduled for April 20. Meanwhile, the Bahrain Grand Prix was relocated to Sepang in September and was renamed the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Having said that, Imola was already preparing to host an F1 race this year. The work included constructing temporary grandstands and preparing the facilities needed to accommodate the teams, spectators, and other F1 personnel.

However, the circuit needed a definitive answer by November 10, which F1 dutifully gave them. The preparations were all for naught, although F1 has agreed to cover every dollar and penny that the Imola organizers spent.

Formerly known as the San Marino Grand Prix, Imola first hosted an F1 World Championship Grand Prix in 1980. It left the F1 calendar in 2006, citing the circuit's outdated facilities and its inability to meet the sport's evolving commercial and infrastructure requirements.

Imola returned in 2020 as a stopgap venue during the COVID-19 pandemic and was renamed the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. 

The recently concluded MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix could be one of the most important developments behind F1's decision to stand down Imola. The fact that MotoGP went ahead with the race has given F1 an opportunity to observe the sport's security assessments, which did not identify sufficient grounds to cancel the event.