F1 sticks to Qatar and Abu Dhabi finale after Yamaha MotoGP boycott
Formula 1 has told teams it still intends to finish the 2026 season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, even after Yamaha announced it will skip the MotoGP race at Lusail. Imola is reportedly kept ready as a backup.
A boycott that reaches the calendar
Yamaha's decision to skip a motorcycle race has landed in Formula 1's lap. The Japanese manufacturer, together with its satellite team Pramac, has said it will not take part in the MotoGP round at Qatar's Lusail circuit on 6-8 November, and the move has prompted fresh questions about the last two rounds of the car-racing season, which are also in the Middle East. According to Crash.net and Autosport, F1's answer for now is: nothing changes.
What F1 told the teams
Autosport reports that F1 sent a message to the teams during the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend saying it still intends to conclude the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Crash.net lists the dates as 27-29 November for Qatar and 4-6 December for Abu Dhabi. The message reportedly points out that the other manufacturers and MotoGP as a whole are still travelling to Qatar, and that travel advice and insurance cover have not changed since May.
Both outlets say F1 has been told there have been no attacks on civilian infrastructure in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates since May, and that it sees no reason to alter its plans at this stage. Autosport adds that F1 insists safety always comes first and that it would act if the situation changed. Crash.net understands that only a return to the level of escalation seen earlier in 2026 would change the schedule.
The MotoGP side
The two series are in different positions. Crash.net reports that 19 of MotoGP's 22 riders signed a letter raising concerns about racing in Qatar during the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran. MotoGP says the race will go ahead, said it was "disappointed" by Yamaha's decision and warned of sporting implications; Autosport says it has threatened contractual and sporting sanctions, and that deputy CEO Carlos Ezpeleta has travelled to Qatar to discuss safety guarantees with local authorities.
Plan B and the paddock mood
According to Autosport, Imola is the fallback venue: organisers there were cleared more than six weeks ago to build temporary grandstands, and F1 has committed to covering the preparation costs. Williams team principal James Vowles said F1 and the FIA have been very good at providing updates and have a Plan B and Plan C. Red Bull's Laurent Mekies said the teams fully rely on F1 and the FIA to make the right call.
Autosport says drivers and teams have been asked not to speak too critically. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were the only drivers to voice reservations on the record; Sainz, who had doubted before the United States Grand Prix that the finale would go ahead, has since said he fully trusts F1 and the FIA.
What comes next
Both outlets name the United States midterm elections on Tuesday 3 November as a possible turning point, with fears that regional conflicts could escalate afterwards. Before any of that matters for Formula 1, the paddock heads to the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos, round 20, on 8 November. The Qatar race would follow on 27-29 November, with Abu Dhabi closing the season.
