Qatar, Abu Dhabi F1 races will go ahead, CEO says

Formula One's final races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned despite Middle East tensions, chief executive Stefano Domenicali said on October 3.

Domenicali told Canal Plus at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was relocated to Malaysia's Sepang circuit, that “everything is confirmed” for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. He also told Sky Sport Italia that the final two grands prix were confirmed.

The Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled for November 29 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for December 6. Domenicali said teams and drivers were being kept informed, and said 99 percent of tickets had been sold in Abu Dhabi.

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix were scrapped earlier in the season because of the start of the US-led war with Iran.

Max Verstappen, the Dutch four-time world champion, said during the week that he would prefer the season not to end in Qatar and Abu Dhabi while war and regional conflicts were nearby. He said the decision was not up to him.

One backup option discussed was moving the Abu Dhabi race to Imola in Italy.