Imola vows to keep fighting for Formula 1 return

Imola will not host an emergency Formula 1 finale in 2026 after the series confirmed that Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned despite the ongoing Middle East crisis. The circuit had spent months on quiet contingency preparations.

Mayor Marco Panieri said he was disappointed, particularly that newly crowned world champion Kimi Antonelli will not get the chance to celebrate another home race. He said the circuit, which lost its regular calendar slot after 2025, remains determined to return to the calendar and reaffirmed Imola's readiness to host Formula 1.

According to journalist Roger Benoit, Formula 1 covered all the costs of the contingency preparations and will also bear them now that the race is no longer required. He wrote that hundreds of hotel bookings in the area will be cancelled.