Senior Formula 1 figures are 'privately' concerned about the 'worst-case scenario' happening at the Qatar Grand Prix later this month.

Kimi Antonelli was crowned 2026 F1 champion at last weekend's Mexican Grand Prix after he secured P3, with Max Verstappen holding off Lewis Hamilton to win a thrilling race in Mexico City.

Antonelli is the youngest F1 world champion in history and is the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

George Russell, meanwhile, who currently sits in fourth in the Drivers' Championship, issued a heartbreaking statement on social media after watching his Mercedes teammate win the title. The Italian wrapped up the F1 title with four races to spare, including two in the Middle East, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi still on the calendar.

What F1 Bosses Have Been Told About Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix

The F1 season resumes this weekend at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix slated for the 22nd of November.

From there, the final two races take place in the Middle East, with the Qatar Grand Prix taking place on the 29th of November, while the 2026 F1 season will conclude at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the 6th of December.

But uncertainty has clouded the final two races of the season due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In February, the United States and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, which in turn fired missiles at Israel and at other countries in the region with links to the US.

If either the Qatar or Abu Dhabi Grands Prix are cancelled, a replacement race has been discussed, with F1 chiefs exploring a back-up plan, with each of the 11 teams reportedly being informed.

Senior F1 Figures 'Private' Concerns Emerge Ahead of Qatar GP

While there have been no official statements from F1 teams regarding their opinion on travelling to Qatar later this month, a fresh report from the BBC has revealed new information about the paddock's concerns over the final two races of this season.

Per the report, 'privately, many people within the sport have significant misgivings about going to the Middle East, but those opinions are by and large not being voiced publicly.'

F1's argument is that it has no reason to cancel the upcoming races, with the governments in question said to be insisting there are no significant risks.

F1 also has lucrative deals in place with both Qatar and Abu Dhabi, who are both heavily embedded in the sport through their co-ownership of Audi and McLaren, respectively.

The BBC's report adds: "However, many people in F1, including a number at a very high level, believe holding the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi at the end of the season is the wrong thing to do in the circumstances. Many senior figures privately consider the 'worst-case scenario', as one put it the other day."

F1 are believed to be waiting to see whether the situation escalates in the context of last week's Israeli election result or the US mid-tern elections.