It is still not clear whether Formula 1 will visit Qatar and Abu Dhabi this season amid growing tension in the Middle East.

This season’s Bahrain Grand Prix was held in Malaysia as a result of ongoing conflict, while the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled entirely.

According to the FIA’s latest update, president Mohammed Ben Sulayem insisted that the events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still expected to go ahead. Since then, though, the FIA have cancelled other events in the area.

Dakar cancellation throws F1’s Qatar and Abu Dhabi races into doubt

It was confirmed on Sunday that the Dakar Rally 2027 will not take place in Saudi Arabia, with the decision made by the FIA not to visit the region.

The event was scheduled to take place between January 1-15, but it is now being relocated.

Further cancellations in the Middle East will only pile on more pressure and scrutiny around F1’s final two events of the 2026 season.

Towards the end of September, Max Verstappen was outspoken with his stance that Formula 1 should stay away.

“Normally I am happy to go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but you know, when there is a war nearby, and if some of the countries are in conflict with each other, then I think we shouldn’t go,” Verstappen said.

“Then, it doesn’t matter if you have a contract or not, I think. But it’s not up to me.”

As time ticks on, it feels increasingly like the FIA should side with the four-time world champion and prioritise safety over contracts.

While Lewis Hamilton was in favour of Formula 1 going ahead with their visits to

Kimi Antonelli’s championship battle is complicating the decision

This weekend’s United States Grand Prix is the first mathematical opportunity for Kimi Antonelli to clinch his first Drivers’ Championship.

If the FIA announced that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were cancelled, the championship would be automatically decided in Antonelli’s favour without any on-track finale.

It would be a disaster for Formula 1 to have its youngest-ever champion decided by a cancelled race, and perhaps that is playing into the timing of any decision.