Domenicali cautious on Qatar and Abu Dhabi finales

Formula 1 still expects to close the 2026 season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but chief executive Stefano Domenicali has stopped short of guaranteeing it, citing ongoing tensions in the Middle East. His comments came as parent company Liberty Media published its third-quarter financial results.

Revenue had dropped 38 percent in the three months to June 30 after a reshuffled calendar and the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian round. The picture has since levelled out, with revenue for the nine months to September 30 reaching $2.496 billion, just $2 million below the same period last year. The third quarter alone brought a 28 percent year-on-year increase to $1.115 billion.

Domenicali said he still expects the 2026 calendar to run to 23 races, one fewer than in 2025, and pointed to the successful staging of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia as evidence of the sport's ability to adapt.