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Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that a contingency plan is in place should the season-ending Middle East races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be unable to go ahead, as the ongoing regional conflict continues to cast a long shadow over the sport's calendar.
The ramifications of the Iran-United States/Israel war, which broke out at the end of February, have already been felt on the Formula 1 schedule. In March, the sport was forced to cancel both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix — events that had been scheduled for mid-April — as the conflict made staging major sporting events in the region untenable.
A ceasefire has been in place since early April, but the situation remains volatile. That fragility has effectively tied F1's hands, preventing any firm decisions about a potential return to those circuits. Reports had indicated that organisers of both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races — the latter in particular — were pushing to be reinstated on the calendar, with a window between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix identified as a possible slot.
However, as the championship has pressed on — with Kimi Antonelli claiming a dominant Canadian GP victory to extend his title lead to 43 points — the off-track uncertainty in the Middle East has continued to intensify pressure on the back end of the season.
Attention has now turned to the final two races on the calendar: Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6. Ticket sales for both events are already underway, and by Domenicali's own account, they are going well. But the CEO is acutely aware that logistics and lead times mean decisions cannot be deferred indefinitely.
"As with Covid, we have to try to be as pragmatic as possible," Domenicali told L'Equipe. "The fact that we've withdrawn the Bahrain and Jeddah races so far stems from the fact that we knew it wasn't possible to go there at the time. Especially since we're entertainment, a sport that brings joy and pleasure. You have to go to a place where that's truly the atmosphere. We hope, for Formula 1 but especially for the world, that the situation improves as quickly as possible."
The CEO is understood to have until the summer break in August to make an initial determination on whether a race can take place on October 4 — a date that has been identified as a possible contingency slot.
Domenicali has been candid about the practical limitations of reshuffling such a dense and intricate calendar. Rescheduling both Qatar and Abu Dhabi, he said, is "impossible", and even moving one would be far from straightforward.
"Even rescheduling just one won't be easy — there aren't many available slots," he acknowledged. "For us, there's the logistical complexity, the costs. It's not like a football match where there are only two teams, 22 players, and where substitutions are easy."
Despite that, the CEO was clear that Formula 1 is not heading into the unknown unprepared. "I can confirm that we have a contingency plan. And if the two end-of-year races cannot take place because the war is not over, we will have other alternatives," he stated.
One thing Domenicali was emphatic about: the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22 will not become the season finale, regardless of what happens in the Middle East.
"No, it won't be the last race on the calendar," he confirmed. "I can confirm that."
The assurance will provide some clarity for teams and fans alike, even as the broader picture over the final weeks of the 2025 season remains unresolved. With the summer break serving as an informal deadline, Formula 1 must now hope that geopolitical events move in a direction that allows sport — and the sport's full calendar — to resume as planned.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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