F1 reaffirms Qatar and Abu Dhabi for the season finale

Lusail on November 29, then Yas Marina a week later. Formula One’s planned finish to the 2026 season remains in Qatar and the UAE after Stefano Domenicali reaffirmed the two races during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend at Sepang. For supporters waiting to see whether the championship would return to the Gulf before the year ends, his comments give renewed backing to the weekends already in their diaries.

The F1 president and chief executive addressed the calendar on Saturday, October 3. Canal+ reported his confirmation that Qatar and Abu Dhabi would retain their places, while his interview with Sky Italia made clear the basis for that position: the information available to Formula One and the assurances it needs. The sport continues to monitor the regional situation. That qualification remains important when interpreting a statement about races still several weeks away.

The schedule itself is straightforward. Qatar’s weekend runs from November 27 to 29 at Lusail International Circuit, followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from December 4 to 6 at Yas Marina. Both appear in those positions on the current Formula One calendar, with the FIA also listing the two Sunday races at their established circuits. Qatar is the penultimate round and Abu Dhabi the finale of a season now scheduled to contain 23 Grands Prix.

The setting for Domenicali’s remarks helps explain why another assurance matters. Bahrain’s race had just brought Formula One back to Malaysia, with Sepang hosting an event that could not take place in its usual home earlier in the year. Saudi Arabia’s round remains marked as called off on the FIA calendar. Against that background, fans in Qatar and the UAE have had good reason to pay attention to developments beyond the sporting timetable.

Formula One had already said earlier in the season that the two closing races were confirmed, while allowing time to assess conditions and considering alternatives. In its own account of Domenicali’s summer calendar update, the sport said any further decision would come no earlier than the middle of September. His October remarks therefore provide a fresh statement of intent much closer to the events. The dates have not changed, but the time available to prepare is becoming shorter.

That preparation is visible in the organisers’ current information. Lusail continues to advertise its November weekend under the floodlights, with grandstand seats, general admission on Lusail Hill and hospitality among the options listed. Yas Marina’s event calendar still promotes the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Those pages give supporters practical places to follow the programme as the races approach, alongside the championship’s own schedule and any subsequent official updates.

There is a small detail worth checking when planning Abu Dhabi. Yas Marina advertises the wider event from December 3 to 6, while Formula One’s track programme starts with practice on Friday, December 4. The Grand Prix is on Sunday, December 6. Anyone choosing travel dates or a particular ticket should check exactly which days and activities their package covers, rather than assuming every element of the weekend begins at the same time.

On the circuit, the final two rounds will offer different demands. Lusail is a fast, flowing lap dominated by corners taken at medium and high speed. Its long main straight leads towards the principal braking opportunity at Turn 1, but much of the lap asks a driver to carry speed through connected bends. Over the scheduled 57 laps, a car that feels secure through those sequences should give its driver a better chance of maintaining a consistent rhythm.

Yas Marina asks for another balance. Its long straight between Turns 5 and 6 places a premium on the exit from the preceding corner and offers an obvious chance to attack under braking. Elsewhere, drivers must manage the transition from fast running into the more technical sections. The race is scheduled for 58 laps, leaving teams a different problem to solve only days after they have packed up in Qatar.

Both weekends have the conventional Formula One format this year, with three practice sessions before qualifying and the Grand Prix. Qatar is absent from the 2026 Sprint calendar, a useful distinction for spectators remembering its recent editions. For the teams, the fuller practice programme gives them more time to work through the balance of the car and compare behaviour over longer runs before the competitive sessions begin.

The journey into the Gulf will still be demanding. Las Vegas is scheduled for November 19 to 21, immediately before Qatar and Abu Dhabi on successive weekends. That leaves the final three races tightly grouped, with a substantial journey between the first two. Keeping the published sequence gives teams a clear itinerary to work towards, although preparation must still accommodate whatever official guidance applies as departure dates draw closer.

The championship picture may also look rather different by then. After Verstappen’s victory at Sepang, Kimi Antonelli holds an 84 point lead over George Russell, with seven rounds remaining. Five of those come before Qatar. There is consequently no certainty that the drivers’ title will still be open when the cars arrive at Lusail, even with both Gulf races retained. The confirmation establishes where the season is intended to finish; the intervening results will decide what remains at stake.

Sepang offered a reminder of why the remaining races should hold interest regardless. Red Bull secured their first win of the season, while Antonelli increased his advantage on an afternoon that ended badly for Russell. A strong position in the standings does not guarantee control of the next race, and the final two circuits give teams further chances to show how far their cars have progressed during the year.

For Gulf supporters, the immediate outcome is reassuring, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi still set to host the closing fortnight of the championship. Sensible planning should nevertheless include the latest organiser announcements, relevant official travel advice and the conditions attached to bookings. Domenicali has reaffirmed Formula One’s direction. The next task is to carry that plan through to Lusail’s November weekend and the final chequered flag at Yas Marina on December 6.