Imola could make F1 calendar return in place of Qatar or Abu Dhabi GP
Formula 1 will soon have to make a decision about the final races of the 2026 season as the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States continues to shake the Middle East and cast doubt on the Abu Dhabi and Qatar grands prix. Now, an unlikely alternative has reportedly come to the fore, with Italy preparing for a second world championship race.
On 29 November, the Formula 1 World Championship could conclude with the Qatar Grand Prix, but the race may not be held at Lusail, as usual, but at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola. The possibility of Imola deciding the 2026 world champion is far from far-fetched.
A decision must be made by 15 September, between the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when it will be necessary to determine whether the final two races on the calendar in Qatar and Abu Dhabi can go ahead. Qatar is scheduled for 29 November and Abu Dhabi on 6 December, but instability in the Gulf remains – given that the US and Iran have yet to reach a definitive agreement regarding the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Time is running out, and the organisational window for making decisions has almost closed. Stefano Domenicali is working extremely hard to find a suitable way to bring the 2026 championship to a close, and it cannot be ruled out that the Qatar race (or the Abu Dhabi race) could be moved to Imola, following the same principle that will see the Bahrain Grand Prix take place in Malaysia at the Sepang circuit on 4 October.
Imola could therefore be given back the race it lost in 2023 due to floods that devastated the region. If the plan materialises, the race could take place using a budget provided by Qatar: the entire promotional campaign would be handled by the organiser, while the running of the race would be entrusted to the ACI and Formula Imola, the company responsible for the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit.
In this scenario, the sponsor revenues and grandstand ticket sales would go to the Middle Eastern promoter, while Imola would receive reimbursement for the costs of organising the race.
And, most likely, everyone could ultimately be satisfied: Qatar (like Bahrain) would retain its grand prix’s place on the calendar, while Liberty Media would ensure that 22 races are held during the season, avoiding the risk of having to pay substantial penalties to the television broadcasters that hold the rights to broadcast F1, since the agreements they have signed refer to 22 events.
F1 returned to Imola in 2020
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Imola, very unexpectedly, would return to the calendar, while Geronimo La Russa, president of ACI Italy, would benefit from a second race on Italian soil without having to spend a single cent. For Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1, it would be an extraordinary way of bringing everything together.
The teams, just to be on the safe side, have reportedly placed provisional bookings at hotels in the Imola area.
There is, however, a major question mark hanging over the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit: at the end of November, there is a risk of bad weather. The concern would not be so much the cold or rain, but fog. The helicopters responsible for ensuring safety around the circuit would be unable to fly, bringing activity to a standstill.
Given that the days will be getting shorter, if the Qatar Grand Prix were to be held in Emilia-Romagna, the event schedule would be revised, with qualifying and the race brought forward to avoid any risk of darkness.
For now, the project remains under wraps, and nobody is officially talking about it, because the hope is that US president Donald Trump will find a definitive solution to end the conflict he started with Iran. But Italians will be excited at the prospect of the championship battle between Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari being decided on home soil.
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