F1 drops Imola as contingency venue for season finale

F1 has informed Imola that it will not be needed as a contingency venue for the end of the season. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds will go ahead as planned. Imola had been held in reserve in case F1 decided against finishing the campaign in the Middle East, with any replacement event pencilled in for the Abu Dhabi weekend slot on December 4-6.

F1 said nothing has changed on the ground in Qatar or Abu Dhabi to force a rethink, pointing to MotoGP's event in Qatar the previous weekend as evidence that racing in the region remains viable. Safety concerns around the Lusail event had intensified after the factory Yamaha MotoGP team withdrew from that race citing corporate travel warnings. Travel advice still permits travel, travel insurance remains valid, and business has returned to normal levels, with teams understood to support concluding the season as planned.

F1 has thanked the promoter and government in Imola for their support during the standby period. The door has not been fully closed on a late change, with F1 saying it will act if the situation deteriorates before the Middle Eastern rounds, with the safety of everyone remaining the priority.