F1 ‘source’ offers update on Qatar and Abu Dhabi GPs ahead of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancellation

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Formula One Management are relaxed about the Qatar Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi for now even as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia head for cancellation.

The 2026 F1 season is already set to be reduced from 24 rounds to 22, with the sport’s hand forced due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. There will be no races in the month of April.

Naturally, there are also fears about the two remaining races in the region – Qatar and Abu Dhabi – even though they’re scheduled for late November and early December.

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‘We have options’ – F1 share latest on Qatar and Abu Dhabi

The Daily Mail contacted a ‘source’ within F1 management who indicated that they aren’t even ‘contemplating’ another double cancellation.

“Those races are a long way off,” they said. “We have options, but it is far too early to contemplate those events being pulled.”

It’s unclear exactly what those ‘options’ are given that the sport decided against replacing or rescheduling the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

• READ MORE: F1 already has a cancellation deal in place for Bahrain and Saudi races, finance expert predicts

As the report notes, the final races of the season could be ‘critical to the championship’s outcome’. If the current timescale is repeated, teams won’t know when the season is ending until around Halloween.

There is clearly a possibility that the Las Vegas GP could be the season finale, but the situation is extremely difficult to predict. The safety of team personnel will be prioritised in any decision.

How much will F1 lose through Bahrain and Saudi Arabia cancellation?

It’s said that Bahrain pays £40m to host the race, while 2021 inductee Saudi Arabia contributes £60m – the largest hosting fee of the year.

Depending on the terms of the races’ contracts, the sport therefore stands to lose out on at least £100m. But there has been no scramble to find alternative venues, which suggests that Liberty Media and teams can absorb the hit of a reduced calendar.

F1 last cancelled a race in 2023 when the Emilia Romagna region was hit by severe flooding. There was much greater disruption in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.