WRC cancels Saudi finale: what next for F1 in Qatar and Abu Dhabi?

WRC decision increases pressure on Formula 1

Formula 1’s end-of-season visits to Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain on the calendar for now, but the FIA’s decision to remove Rally Saudi Arabia from the 2026 World Rally Championship schedule has intensified scrutiny of the championship’s own Middle Eastern races.

The decision followed months of work involving the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, the local organising team and championship stakeholders. Despite efforts to find a route for the rally to proceed as planned, the WRC element of the event could not go ahead.

The rally itself is still due to take place on the same dates as part of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. Saudi Arabia said it remained ready to host the event safely and successfully, adding that the Kingdom continues to operate normally with national systems fully functional.

F1’s Middle East finale remains unchanged

The WRC calendar will now conclude with the Sardinia Rally from October 1-4, making it the 13th and final round of the season. The calendar change still requires approval from the FIA World Motor Sport Council, while F1’s schedule remains unaltered.

That leaves Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit set to host the penultimate round on November 29, followed by the season finale at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit on December 6. Those races are just over two months away, placing the question of F1’s plans firmly in focus after the WRC’s decision.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the organisation had explored “every possible route” to allow Rally Saudi Arabia to take place, but that ongoing regional developments had ultimately prevented the WRC event from proceeding this year. He also stressed that confidence in the organisers and the rally’s long-term future remained unchanged.

No immediate F1 call

For now, there is no announced change to the Qatar or Abu Dhabi rounds. The WRC decision therefore provides a clear precedent for how the FIA can respond when regional uncertainty affects logistical arrangements, but it does not itself confirm any change to F1’s finale.

The question is consequently not whether a decision has been made, but how much longer F1 will wait before making its own call. With the calendar still intact, Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain the championship’s scheduled closing venues. The 2026 F2 calendar coverage also reflects how the final Middle East rounds are currently built into the wider single-seater schedule.