Domenicali stops short of guaranteeing the Qatar and Abu Dhabi finale

Stefano Domenicali is not in a position to put his name on the line for the Qatar and Abu Dhabi finale. While Formula 1 has every intention of ending the 2026 season there, the chief executive pointed to the region’s tensions as reason enough not to make any guarantees. “At this stage” the plans are to see out the calendar in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, he said on the Liberty Media earnings call.

When it comes to the final two rounds of the year on November 29 and December 6, that is a distinction with a difference. Domenicali says the present disruption is no obstacle to the long-term strategy or relations with the Middle East promoters. He has his sights set on 23 races for the season, fewer than in 2025. The sort of uncertainty that brings is what is making Rafael Camara’s title run at Haas in Formula 2 a scheduling problem in reality rather than in theory.