There are 'widespread' concerns in the F1 paddock over the final two races of the season, according to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson.

F1 heads to Sao Paulo for the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, after which the Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place from November 20-22.

Then, F1 is currently scheduled to head to the Middle East for the last two races of the campaign, with the Qatar Grand Prix set to take place on the weekend of November 27-29 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix slated for one week later, on December 4-6.

There have been doubts over these races ever since F1 was forced to cancel the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year, as well as postpone the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was eventually hosted by Malaysia, due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

However, for now, they are set to go ahead, with GPFans understanding that F1 continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East to ensure they can take the best course of action.

'Widespread concerns' over Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

With the US midterms taking place on Tuesday though, there is speculation that the US-Iran conflict could escalate once they are out of the way, with the US having already confirmed they have carried out defensive strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours.

Of course, F1 is not the only series scheduled to race in the Middle East. MotoGP's Qatar Grand Prix is due to take place this upcoming weekend, but there have been talks of driver boycotts and unhappiness over having to race there. Over the weekend, one team, Yamaha, even pulled out of the race.

Now, in a BBC Sport piece, Benson claims that the same fears MotoGP personnel have exist in the F1 paddock, claiming: "Similar concerns also exist within F1 on a widespread basis about the end-of-season races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi going ahead. 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."

We have heard Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz speak out on the issue recently, and Benson claims that other senior people in the sport believe it is currently 'wrong' to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

"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.

"Imagine the situation stays quiet, and then the missiles start flying again once the sport is out in the Middle East. If that means personnel are trapped there and can't get out, never mind people getting hurt or even killed, the PR consequences for F1 would be enormous."

For now, the 2026 calendar remains as follows:

2026 Formula 1 Calendar - Remaining Rounds

Round	Grand Prix	Date
20	Sao Paulo Grand Prix	6–8 November 2026
21	Las Vegas Grand Prix	19–21 November 2026
22	Qatar Grand Prix	27–29 November 2026
23	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	4–6 December 2026