Formula 1 will go ahead with its season-ending races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi despite ongoing tensions in the West Asia, ruling out a possible move to Italy's Imola circuit.
There had been discussions about relocating the two races to Imola after the Iran war forced the Bahrain Grand Prix to be moved to Malaysia and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to be cancelled. F1 had begun preparations with local authorities at Imola but has now informed the circuit and the teams that it will not be needed as an alternative venue. The Italian circuit had even started building grandstands but was waiting for confirmation before committing to full-scale preparations. On Tuesday, F1 informed Imola that it would not be required.
"We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi," FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem wrote in an Instagram post. "We are fully prepared and committed to delivering two outstanding Grand Prix weekends and a spectacular conclusion to the (F1 championship). We are working closely with our partners to ensure everything is in place for our drivers, teams and fans," he added.
The season has three races remaining, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix scheduled for November 21, followed by Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6. Both Formula One titles have been decided, with 20-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli becoming the youngest-ever drivers' champion in Mexico this month, while Mercedes sealed the constructors' title in Brazil last Sunday.
The decision means the Formula 1 calendar will finish with 23 rounds. Meanwhile, the Formula 2 championship will be decided in the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, with Brazilian Rafael Camara, who made his F1 debut at Brazil Grand Prix, leading Red Bull-backed Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov by seven points.
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A MotoGP race was held in Qatar last weekend. MotoGP is owned by the same US-based group that owns Formula 1.
However, F1 could still reconsider its decision if the security situation in the region deteriorates, with the safety of drivers, teams and fans remaining the priority.
