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F1 stands Imola down and keeps Qatar and Abu Dhabi finale

Formula 1 has told Imola it is no longer needed as a back-up, and will end the 2026 season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi as planned.

An airliner and a formation of jets trailing red, green and white smoke fly across an orange sunset sky
An Etihad Airways flypast over Yas Island on the day of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo: Delta.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Formula 1 will finish the 2026 season in the Middle East after telling Imola on Tuesday that it is no longer needed as a back-up venue.

The Qatar Grand Prix goes ahead on 29 November and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 6 December, despite the continuing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Imola's plan B

Imola had been asked to get ready to hold a Grand Prix on the Abu Dhabi weekend in case the two Middle East races could not run.

Pressing on in Qatar and Abu Dhabi was always F1's first choice. It says government travel advice and insurance still allow the trip.

MotoGP raced at Lusail in Qatar last weekend without major problems.

Not guaranteed yet

The decision is not final in every case. F1 has said safety comes first and that it is still prepared to call off both races if the situation gets worse before they start.

Conflict has already reshaped this season's calendar. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, planned for April, was cancelled, and the Bahrain Grand Prix was moved to Malaysia's Sepang circuit later in the year.

What happens next

The season's last three races are a triple-header: Las Vegas, then Qatar, then Abu Dhabi. Freight and staff head from the United States to the Gulf straight after the Las Vegas race.

Kimi Antonelli has already won the drivers' title and Mercedes the constructors' crown, so the final rounds settle the places behind them, led by the fight for second in the drivers' standings.

Race it on Late Brake

None of the three remaining venues is in Late Brake, the free browser game, but six real circuits are, including Monza, the home of the Italian Grand Prix. Pick one, set a lap and race your own ghost to chase a gold medal time.

Sources: BBC Sport, The Race, Autosport, Motorsport.com

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