News Summary

Formula 1 teams have reportedly booked hotel accommodation near Imola as preparations intensify for the Italian circuit to host the final race of the 2026 season.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain officially scheduled to stage the final two rounds on November 27–29 and December 4–6 respectively. However, continued security concerns in the Middle East have forced Formula 1 to develop a European contingency plan.

According to Motorsport.com Italy, every F1 team has provisionally reserved accommodation around Imola for the December 6 weekend. Organisation has also started at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, which would host an Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix if the replacement plan is activated.

The preparations do not mean either Middle Eastern race has been cancelled. Promoters in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are continuing to organise their events and maintain that they can provide the necessary security guarantees.

Formula 1 and the FIA are therefore managing two plans simultaneously: retaining the existing calendar if conditions permit, while ensuring Imola can be activated at short notice if travelling to the region becomes impossible.

Imola preparations move beyond preliminary discussions

Imola has been discussed as a possible replacement venue for several weeks, with Automobile Club d’Italia president Geronimo La Russa previously describing the circuit as the “ideal solution”.

The latest developments indicate that planning has moved beyond expressions of interest.

Hotel reservations allow teams to protect themselves against a late calendar change, while the circuit and local authorities have begun addressing the specific problems created by staging a Grand Prix in early December.

Imola would not be able to use the same spectator capacity achieved during its previous spring events. Some temporary grandstands could not be installed because of likely winter ground conditions, while parking would also require a substantially different plan.

Organisers are reportedly developing a system under which spectator vehicles would remain on paved surfaces, with shuttle buses transporting fans to the circuit and its grandstands. The measure is intended to prevent parking areas from becoming unusable in wet or muddy conditions.

The Italian federation would oversee the organisation alongside Formula Imola, the local government and Imola mayor Marco Panieri.

A winter event would also require a major change to the sporting timetable. As GRANDE PRÊMIO previously explained, the Grand Prix would probably need to begin before 13:00 local time because Imola does not have permanent floodlights and sunset is expected at approximately 16:34.

Decision could be delayed until October

Formula 1 had initially been expected to settle the calendar question around the middle of September. The decision could now be delayed until the opening days of October as the championship waits to see whether the regional situation improves.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has repeatedly said that Qatar and Abu Dhabi will remain on the calendar unless security and operational conditions make the events impossible.

The FIA has adopted a similar position. President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the governing body would continue consulting governments, promoters and the relevant security authorities before making a final decision.

The resulting delay creates a difficult logistical situation. Teams must prepare travel, freight, personnel schedules and accommodation without knowing whether the season will end in the Middle East or Europe.

Some manufacturers involved in Formula 1 and MotoGP have reportedly either introduced or considered restrictions preventing employees from travelling to areas classified as high risk.

Insurance could become decisive. If companies cannot secure adequate cover for employees and equipment travelling to Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, the practical ability to stage the races could disappear even without an official government prohibition.

A formal travel warning from the British government would be particularly important because most Formula 1 teams are based in the United Kingdom. Such advice could immediately affect staff insurance and corporate travel policies.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi face contractual complication

The issue is also commercially sensitive.

Cancelling the two Middle Eastern races could trigger substantial contractual penalties, while Abu Dhabi is particularly reluctant to surrender the season finale it has hosted continuously since 2014.

At the same time, Formula 1 cannot commit its teams and personnel to the region unless it is satisfied that the championship can operate safely and without major travel restrictions.

One possibility considered earlier in the process involved retaining the name of one of the cancelled Middle Eastern events while staging the race elsewhere, similar to the arrangement that moved the Bahrain GP to Sepang for October.

That option has reportedly been rejected for Imola. If the Italian circuit hosts the finale, the event is expected to be organised as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix rather than adopting the Qatar or Abu Dhabi GP name.

A Middle Eastern promoter could still retain a commercial presence through title sponsorship, allowing an existing partner to receive exposure despite the relocation.

Imola would replace two races with one

The current plan would not necessarily provide direct replacements for both Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

If neither event can proceed, Imola is expected to stage a single Grand Prix on the original Abu Dhabi weekend of December 4–6. The championship would therefore lose one round while preserving a final race after Las Vegas.

The arrangement would also mean Formula 1 ends a season in Europe for the first time since the 1997 European GP at Jerez.

Imola was removed from the regular calendar after the 2025 season but retained the infrastructure and operational experience required to organise an F1 event. Its location also makes it more accessible to the predominantly European teams than other replacement candidates previously discussed.

The championship battle could give the event additional significance. Andrea Kimi Antonelli currently leads the standings and could arrive at Imola with the possibility of securing his first Formula 1 title on home soil.

For now, however, the official Formula 1 calendar continues to list Qatar as the penultimate round and Abu Dhabi as the season finale. Imola’s hotel reservations and organisational work remain contingency measures until F1 and the FIA complete their security assessment.

F1 today: FAQ

What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?

Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.

Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?

George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.

Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?

Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.

Will Imola host the 2026 F1 season finale?

No decision has been announced. Imola is preparing to host the finale on December 6 if Formula 1 determines that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix cannot proceed safely.