Grandstands, hospitality and logistics are already going up at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari for a race that may never happen. F1 has told the circuit to prepare a season finale on the weekend of December 4-6, the same slot earmarked for Abu Dhabi, in case the Gulf double-header has to be scrapped at short notice.

BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson reports that F1 has an agreement with Imola to cover every penny the venue spends on those preparations if the race is not ultimately staged there. The circuit, in other words, cannot be left out of pocket for standing by.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi still the plan

The scheduled finale remains the Lusail International Circuit on November 29 and Yas Marina on December 6. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has said the calendar is locked and that Imola is a fallback, not an active plan.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem reiterated that position on October 20.

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“The two races are going to happen,” Ben Sulayem said.

He added that his own family lives in the region, pointing to that as evidence he considers the venues safe. Asked directly whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi are currently safe, he answered: “Yeah, fine.”

What the security advice actually says

Benson reports that F1 has been advised there have been no attacks on civilian infrastructure in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates since May. That assessment, coupled with UK Foreign Office travel advice to which Formula One Management has a direct line, is what underwrites the decision to press ahead.

The trigger F1 is watching is political rather than military. Benson writes that the sport is aware US President Donald Trump could take actions that intensify the regional conflict after the US midterm elections on November 3, which is why Imola is being kept on standby through the end of the window.

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$180 million in play

The money explains why F1 is not simply switching. Hosting fees alone put Abu Dhabi on the hook for roughly $49 million and Qatar for about $64 million in 2026, a combined $113 million from the two Gulf promoters. Freight and licensing revenue linked to the two races would add close to $70 million more, taking the total exposure to around $180 million if both are dropped.

Imola does not replace that revenue. It only guarantees that a season finale happens somewhere, with a European circuit that F1 can reach without flying into the Gulf.

The call on whether Imola runs or stays on standby is expected in the days following the US vote on November 3.

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