Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali has confirmed that five European teams are at risk of being impacted by the potential cancellation of the 2026 season due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The conflict has already led to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races, with Malaysia stepping in to hold a race in September on behalf of Bahrain. Domenicali stated that the end of the season could be in Europe if the situation in the Middle East does not improve.
A final decision on the 2026 season will be made by the middle of September, with Domenicali confirming that the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are currently planned to go ahead. However, if the situation does not improve, the end of the season could be moved to Europe.
Domenicali also confirmed that contingency plans are in place should the war still be ongoing. He stated that these alternative plans would "accommodate the fact that we will keep, in any case, the target of 24 countries also for next year".
The Imola circuit in Italy is reportedly the strong front-runner to host the final race of the season if Qatar and Abu Dhabi have to be called off.
Domenicali has been working to find solutions to the ongoing issues with the new engines, which have been criticized by drivers for reducing their ability to drive on the limit. He stated that the new engines have presented an opportunity for Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of F1's governing body the FIA, to push his plan for a return to naturally aspirated V8 engines for the next set of engine rules in 2030 or 2031.
However, Domenicali stated that the sport is on track to have an outline plan for the next engine rules by the end of this year. He said that the main target of the future regulation is to keep things as simple as possible, to bring F1 to a lighter class of car weight, with a sustainable fuel, with electrification, and around this give the chance to the drivers to push as hard as they can.
The future of F1's engine rules is set to be decided in the coming months, with both Mercedes and Audi reportedly pushing for turbochargers to remain. The engines are expected to retain a relatively significant proportion of electrical power to ensure they are road-relevant.
A decision on the 2026 season will be made by the middle of September, with Domenicali stating that the situation in the Middle East will be the trigger for any alternative plans to be put in place.
The future of F1's engine rules and the potential cancellation of the 2026 season will be closely watched by fans and teams in the coming months.
Source: BBC Sports