Imola set to replace Qatar or Abu Dhabi on 2026 F1 calendar amid Middle East unrest

Imola is under serious consideration as a replacement venue for either the Qatar or Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, with the FIA setting a 15 September deadline to determine whether both Middle East races can safely proceed.

Ongoing instability in the Gulf — stemming from unresolved tensions between the United States and Iran over passage through the Strait of Hormuz — has cast doubt over the Qatar Grand Prix (scheduled for 29 November) and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (6 December). F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is working to secure a contingency plan that would keep the season at 22 races, a figure enshrined in the sport’s broadcast agreements.

The proposed solution mirrors the arrangement already in place for the Bahrain Grand Prix, which has been relocated to Malaysia’s Sepang circuit on 4 October. Under a similar framework, the Qatar race — or potentially the Abu Dhabi race — could be staged at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola, with Qatar’s promoter funding the event. Ticket revenues and sponsorship income would flow back to the Middle Eastern organiser, while the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) and Formula Imola would handle on-site operations and receive reimbursement for their costs.

The arrangement would effectively hand Imola a race it has not hosted since 2023, when catastrophic flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region forced the cancellation of that year’s grand prix. The circuit has not appeared on the calendar since.

The 15 September window — falling between the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix — represents the last practical point at which organisational preparations could realistically begin for an alternative venue. Beyond that date, the logistical window closes.

Should the plan go ahead, the outcome would satisfy multiple parties: Qatar retains its place on the calendar in name, Liberty Media avoids financial penalties tied to the 22-race minimum, and Italy gains a second world championship round without ACI president Geronimo La Russa having to commit any additional funding. Whether the 2026 world title is ultimately decided at Lusail, Yas Marina, or on the banks of the Santerno river in Imola may not be known until mid-September.