The 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship was decided at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday evening, with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli taking the crown in just his second-ever season in the sport.

Antonelli only needed to finish ninth in the race to secure his maiden crown, but ended up taking third place, behind Lewis Hamilton and a victorious Max Verstappen.

While he would undoubtedly have liked to seal the title with a win, Antonelli still had plenty to celebrate in Mexico City, after becoming the youngest-ever F1 Drivers' Champion at just 20 years and 68 days old.

What is Left to Be Decided in F1 in 2026

Alongside teammate George Russell, Antonelli's accomplishments have put Mercedes on the brink of claiming their first Constructors' Championship triumph since 2021. The Brackley-based team need just four points at next weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix to guarantee the title.

However, they could be crowned champions even sooner than that after a new report revealed that F1 bosses are considering ending the 2026 season early.

Following the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the season is scheduled to conclude with races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Ongoing political conflict in the Middle East, though, has long placed a cloud over the final two races of the campaign.

F1 chiefs have already begun exploring a back-up plan in the event that either the Qatar or Abu Dhabi Grands Prix are cancelled, with a replacement race discussed for Imola.

When F1 Teams Have Been Told 2026 Season Could End

An update has now emerged on the situation, with the latest state of affairs on a potential Imola Grand Prix being communicated to teams over the weekend.

Per GP Blog, each of the 11 teams have been informed that the deadline for approving a race at Imola is the 10th of November. Should either (or both) the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be cancelled after this date, then the 2026 season will end in Las Vegas on the 22nd of November.

The 2026 F1 season was originally scheduled to include 24 races. This number was reduced to 23 when the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled earlier this year.

If a further two fall by the wayside, the season will end with just 21 races. While this is highly unlikely to have any impact on the destination of silverware, it would certainly be a major financial blow to the sport.

According to reports, the sanctioning fees for the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi total a staggering $95 million. Even if a replacement race can be arranged at Imola, bosses are unlikely to come anywhere close to recovering that income.