Amidst growing uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East, Stefano Domenicali admits that F1 could return to Europe for the final race of the 2026 season.
Earlier this year, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled due to the war, and on Sunday it was announced that the Bahrain event will now be held in Malaysia.
However, in the continued uncertainty over the situation in the region, the WEC has since cancelled its rounds in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, which will now be held in Barcelona and Monza.
Aware that the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are under threat, and adamant not to further reduce the number of races, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali has said that should the Middle East rounds need to be cancelled the season finale would be held in Europe after the race in Las Vegas.
"With regards to the end of the season, we are in touch with all the other championships," said the Italian in a call with F1 media. "The way that we are structured is that we will take the maximum time for us to see how the situation will develop, and we will take the decision at the right time. That moment will be not be before the middle of September. For us today, the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are confirmed.
"Of course, if the situation will not be cleared the way that we believe it should be, before the middle of September, we will take the decision," he continued. "And in that respect, I just want confirm to you that if this will not be possible, that the end of the season would be in Europe.
"Together, we have found a new way of hosting the Grand Prix in Malaysia," he said. "It's a sign of cooperation, it's the sign of thinking wider than what other people believe."
Interestingly, Malysia dropped off the schedule almost a decade ago, due to the increasing hosting costs and the diminishing lack of fans attending the event. With the hosting fee now likely to be stumped up by the Bahrainis, Drive to Survive and the ongoing media hysteria surrounding the sport should put the bums back on the seats.
Nonetheless, coming from Imola, one would think that Domenicali would appreciate the weather in Europe in November, then again at least the sport would be almost guaranteed a wet race.
Wherever it is held, should the remaining events in the Middle East be cancelled, as is looking likely, for contractual reasons there must be a minimum of 21 races. There was talk of back-to-back races in Las Vegas, as was the case at a number of circuits during the Fauci crisis, but this was not possible.
"There was a possibility of having two races in Las Vegas, but we don't want to ruin, let me put it this way, a jewel that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there. And of course, we don't have to forget that in that period of the year, we are fighting in the US against the NFL. That is a major sport that is, I don't want to say detracting, but a lot of fans are watching that. So we need to avoid any kind of situation that would put us in front of something that, of course, is still quite big in the US."
Seriously? He believes that F1 is competing with NFL for fans?
Having, unironically claimed the sport has "sold out", the F1 boss, a staunch defender of the 2026 regulations overhaul, continues to insist that all is well and that the sport is flourishing.
"There is a lot of action on the track," he says. "People are loving it. They don't understand our technology, division of 'clipping', or whatever it is," he admits, "because it's too technical for the wider base that we have. Therefore, the effect on the track has been widely super positive about the fans.
"The evolution from the first race is just phenomenal. It's showing how much F1 is able to react to any kind of technical challenge or opportunity, because I remember very well at the beginning of the year, some were saying, 'The championship is already finished, we'll have a Mercedes dominating the season, it's game over'.
"It's not the truth," he continues, "there are still a lot of things that will happen up to the end of the year. There will be more teams that will be able to fight for the win. There will be more drivers where it will be possible for them to be the winner. Therefore, all the elements on that side will be very, very fascinating, and I think that everyone will stay focused and tuned in up to the end of the championship.
"We are looking forward to the second half of the season with a lot of positivity," he says, while looking further ahead, he adds: "A lot of good talks are going ahead now, I think that for the drivers that have already driven the changes of next year on the simulator, it is going in the right direction."
The Italian admits particular delight at the progress countryman Kimi Antonelli has made this season, the teenager potentially being the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
"He has brought a lot of new fans connected to him, because the nature of his way of engaging is fantastic," he says. "On the sport side, he has proven to be very strong.
"Don't forget that, without the two DNFs related to problems on the car, the championship for him would be an even a bigger gap. He's proven to be very solid. And as you can imagine for the Italian fans, it's even more important. The last Italian driver that won something important was many, many, many years ago. Therefore, he's added a new dimension.
"The relationship today with the other drivers is fantastic," he adds. "The relationship may be different, of course, if we start winning the championship, but that's the nature of our sport. But as I said, I can only be very happy with the way that he's engaged with our sport. I've known him for many, many years, and he's an incredible asset for the future and what we're doing together."
As for, four-time world champion, Max Verstappen, whose future is unclear, he says: "Max is an incredible driver. He loves Formula 1. I have an incredible relationship with him. My opinion is that Max will stay with us, and I really hope so."
Of course, Verstappen has been one of the leading critics of the regulations, and at the weekend Lando Norris was highly critical of the direction in which F1's owners are taking the sport, not that the McLaren was driver was asked about his claims after qualifying or the race.
"We are not here to put tape on the mouth of anyone," Domenicali insists. "The beauty of motorsport is that everyone can have an opinion, but the opinion is an opinion. I prefer to discuss things in that respect in four walls to find solutions."
With regards Mohammed ben Sulayem's push for a return to naturally aspirated V8 engines by 2031, or even 2030, the F1 CEO says: "The main target of the future regulation is to keep things as simple as possible, to bring F1 to a lighter class, with a sustainable fuel, with, of course, electrification, and around this give the chance to the drivers, above all, in a certain mode, to push as hard as they can.
"I do believe that within the end of this year, we're going to be in a position to have a package ready to be discussed," he adds. "Because there are two options. If we wait for the end of the cycle to be finished, in 2031, there's nothing that prevents the FIA to present a totally different regulation. And, of course, if the teams want to be part of it, they can, otherwise, no. I'm exaggerating, but you understand the principle.
"If there is a consensus on what we are doing, to anticipate it, there is the need to find the governance in place with the teams, with the manufacturers.
"There are a lot of good talks going ahead now. There is a lot of, as you can imagine, different angles that everyone is pushing for different reasons, but within the end of the year, we're going to be in a position to have the right package for the future."
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