Due to the unrest in the Middle East, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the further course of the F1 season. For now, the year must be concluded with Grands Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but while the WEC has already canceled the Qatari stage, the MotoGP now also threatens to cancel the planned race at the Lusail International Circuit. FOM has not yet shared updates about the calendar, but reportedly Imola is ready to step in.
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According to sources from The Race, MotoGP will soon announce that the race weekend in Qatar will officially be removed from the schedule. Qatar was initially already on the calendar in April, but due to the war violence between Iran and the United States, the race was moved to November. Meanwhile, the event now threatens not to take place at all; MotoGP seems to be choosing to reduce the season from 22 to 21 rounds.
The FIA and the WEC already confirmed in July that the planned races in Qatar and Bahrain will not take place. Replacement races will be held in Barcelona and Monza in October and November. “Logistically, it was important to make this decision now so that manufacturers, teams, and the WEC organization could make all necessary preparations,” WEC CEO Frédéric Lequien responded at the time.
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F1 schedule under pressure
The increasing pressure to cancel the major motorsport events in Qatar is also highly relevant for the further course of the F1 season. The Grands Prix of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which were originally scheduled for April, have already been canceled. Bahrain will, however, get a second chance in October, although Sepang in Malaysia will be the one-time venue for this race.
The sprint weekend in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi – which are scheduled for late November and early December respectively – are still on the schedule for now. According to the latest rumors, however, it is likely that FOM will cancel both races. Max Verstappen and company may then move to a circuit in Europe. Imola currently seems to be the biggest contender to host the finale.
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