Formula 1 President and CEO announced the possibility of moving the final races from the Middle East to Europe and confirmed the return of Sepang for the Bahrain Grand Prix in October.
The 2026 Formula 1 season could have a dramatic finale far from the planned circuits in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, confirmed in an interview with Live F1 (TG) that the end of the season will be moved to Europe if the conflict in the Middle East is not resolved by mid-September.
"If the situation is not resolved as we believe it should be, we will make a decision before mid-September. And in that regard, I just want to confirm that if that is not possible, the end of the season will be in Europe," said Domenicali.
While awaiting a final decision on the season finale, one calendar change has already been agreed. The Bahrain Grand Prix will take place from 2 to 4 October 2026 at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia. Domenicali thanked the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom of Malaysia for their cooperation, emphasizing that it is "a sign of cooperation and thinking broader than what others believe."
"Together we found a new way to host the Grand Prix in Malaysia," he highlighted. Sepang thus returns to the schedule after a multi-year hiatus, and the Bahrain race temporarily moves to Southeast Asia.
In the first 11 rounds of the 2026 championship, marked by completely new technical regulations, five different winners have been seen in the last five races. The current championship leader is young Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes with six Grand Prix wins, despite two retirements due to car issues.
"The championship is becoming very, very fascinating. People love it," said Domenicali, adding that "the evolution since the first race is simply phenomenal" and that much will still be decided by the end of the year.
About his compatriot Antonelli, who as a teenager became the youngest driver to lead the championship in Formula 1 history, Domenicali says: "He is fresh, still very new, and very open to all kinds of things happening to him. He is an incredible asset for the future." The young Italian's first appearance in front of his home crowd at Monza, according to Domenicali, will be "an incredible event," and just a week later follows the inaugural edition of the Madrid Grand Prix.
Although Max Verstappen has not had a smooth ride this season and speculation about his future has emerged, Domenicali is optimistic. "Max is an incredible driver. He loves Formula 1. I have an incredible relationship with him. My opinion is that Max will stay with us, and I sincerely hope he does," the F1 president stated.
Domenicali also announced that this year's Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort will be "a moment for celebration" as the circuit hosts the F1 caravan for the last time.
Reflecting on the new technical regulations, Domenicali highlighted that "the on-track effect has been extremely positive" and that it is important for the FIA to listen to feedback from manufacturers and drivers. "I think what has been decided in terms of evolution and regulation is right for the sport," he said, adding that good discussions are underway regarding rule development for the coming years: "For drivers who have already tried the changes for next year on the simulator, it is moving in the right direction." He also noted that Formula 1 is recording record spectator numbers at races, and the fan base continues to grow.
When it comes to the future, Domenicali confirmed that Portugal and Turkey will be re-added to the calendar in 2027. The goal is to remain at 24 races per season, and the calendar will be presented during the autumn. "We are still receiving many requests to host Grands Prix around the world," he added. If the situation in the Middle East does not stabilize, there are also backup options for 2027, but a concrete decision will be postponed until the end of this year.
