Formula 1 is pressing ahead with its traditional Gulf finale, with the Qatar Grand Prix scheduled for November 27-29 and the Abu Dhabi season closer at Yas Marina from December 4-6.
Domenicali confirmed the plan in interviews with Canal+ and Sky Sport Italia.
“Based on the information we have, everything is confirmed for [us to stay in] Qatar and Abu Dhabi,” he said.
“Everything is in order.”
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Imola had been positioned as a contingency venue if security conditions deteriorated, but that option has been shelved. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu had said in late September that F1 bosses were aiming to tell teams by the middle of October.
Houthi attacks force Six Kings Slam move
The confirmation lands days after Yemen’s Houthi movement struck Saudi Arabia’s capital, with a missile hitting Riyadh’s airport on Saturday that killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. Projectiles were also reported at or near airports in Abha and Dammam.
The Six Kings Slam, a Netflix-streamed tennis event featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, has been pushed from October 21-24 back to December 27-30. Turki al-Sheikh, chair of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, cited “logistical reasons” in the official announcement.
Three Saudi Pro League matches in Riyadh were also postponed, including an Al-Nassr versus Al-Ahli fixture rescheduled to March 6, 2027.
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F1’s Middle East schedule has already been cut
The sport’s 2026 Middle East plans have already shrunk once this year. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, originally scheduled for April, was cancelled, and the Bahrain round that was due to open the season was moved to Malaysia.
Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari, was among the drivers who publicly pushed for the Middle East finale to go ahead.
“I personally want to go. I love going to the Middle East… I do hope that we get to go there,” he told reporters before Domenicali’s announcement.
Commercial stakes pulled F1 through
F1’s long-term agreements with Qatar and Abu Dhabi, both backed by sovereign funding, sit among the richest on the calendar. By early October, 99% of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tickets had already been sold.
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The Qatar Grand Prix opens at Lusail International Circuit on November 27.
