The dream of Imola fades, the F1 world championship ends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi

The dream of Imola and Emilia Romagna, cradle of the Motor Valley, of hosting and experiencing the last act of Formula 1 2026 is definitively over - barring last-minute surprises. In the very year in which the Mercedes driver from Bologna, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, brought the title back to Italy after 73 years, from Alberto Ascari's last triumph.

After weeks of uncertainty linked to the conflict between Iran and the United States and also given the regular dispute of the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix, the FIA ​​has decided that the Circus will race regularly in the Middle East for the two final races of the season which ended on Sunday from the point of view of awarding titles with the triumph of the Stuttgart team also in the Constructors' World Championship. The president of the international automotive federation, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, announced that everything will remain as planned despite fears of attacks with a post on social media.

"We are ready for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. We are fully prepared and committed to delivering two exceptional Grand Prix weekends and a spectacular conclusion to the FIA ​​Formula One World Championship. We look forward to welcoming the drivers, teams and fans to two iconic tracks for an unforgettable conclusion to the season. See you on the track."

Tensions in the region had in fact pushed Formula 1 and FIA to prepare various alternative plans, with Imola identified as the main emergency solution. The conflict had already caused the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the relocation of the Bahrain Grand Prix to Malaysia.

The concerns of teams, professionals and television broadcasters further complicated the picture. As reported by the German Bild, Canal+, ServusTV and Dazn Spain had considered not sending their crews to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while Sky was also considering similar measures. And in the meantime the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari had already given availability for the weekend of 6 December, while the number one of the Circus Stefano Domenicali had always defended his desire to respect the calendar, subjecting decisions to the guarantees received from the local authorities. For its part, the city of Imola was also ready for the great news of seeing an Italian world champion racing at home after 73 years: the mayor Marco Panieri had reiterated the city's full availability, ready to welcome the Circus again after its exclusion from the 2026 calendar.

But barring any new unexpected developments on the safety front at an international level, the World Championship will thus end with the last two races in the desert, the first at Losail and then at Yas Marina, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli will arrive with the drivers' title already won and Mercedes with their ninth constructors' title on the board.