F1 season could end in Europe if Gulf races cancelled

Formula One will finish its season in Europe if planned races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are cancelled because of the Middle East war, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said Wednesday.

Domenicali said the Qatar race, scheduled for November 29, and the Abu Dhabi finale, scheduled for December 6, remain confirmed for now. He said F1 would decide by mid-September whether they can go ahead.

If the races cannot be held, Domenicali said, the end of the season would be in Europe. He did not identify which European circuits could step in.

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia grands prix were scrapped earlier this season after the start of the war involving Israel, the United States and Iran. The Bahrain Grand Prix was eventually rescheduled and will now be held in Malaysia on October 4.

Domenicali said a possible second successive race in Las Vegas had been shelved. The World Endurance Championship announced Tuesday that it would end its season in Spain and Italy after cancelling planned events in Qatar and Bahrain.