‘Money fears’: F1’s tense standoff over decision that could decide world title revealed

Formula 1 has delayed its decision on whether to race in the Middle East amid the US-Iran war because of "money fears", according to reports.

The 2026 season is scheduled to end with back-to-back rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi on 29 November and 6 December respectively, but the ongoing conflict in the region has plunged both events into doubt.

Formula 1 called off races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in April shortly after the outbreak of hostilities and has been unable to reschedule either. Instead a one-off return of the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend, funded by Bahraini authorities, has been added to the schedule to bolster the number of races.

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Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali declared earlier this year that a decision "has to be made by the middle of September" on logistics grounds, with sea freight being dispatched to the Middle East in September in previous seasons.

But despite the sport confirming its 2027 calendar last week, no announcement on the season-closing Qatar and Abu Dhabi races has been forthcoming.

According to the UK Times, the decision has been put off over the risk that pre-emptively cancelling both races will "cost [the sport] financially", with Formula 1 wanting to avoid losing the sanctioning fee it would receive if both races went ahead.

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Instead the sport is hoping that organisers in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will call off their races given the tense geopolitical situation.

However, the promoter of the Qatar Grand Prix declared earlier this month that "Qatar has been safe for months now" and that life was "back to normal" in the region, with preparations ongoing to host Formula 1 and also MotoGP in November.

Abu Dhabi has continued adding musical acts to its sideshow entertainment line-up, with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Alex Warren added to the bill just last week.

It effectively sets up a standoff situation as the clock ticks past its original deadline.

Formula 1's annual report, released this week, makes clear the financial risk facing the sport.

"The majority of the group's revenues are earned when championship events take place," the report says. "Therefore, amongst the group's principal business risks are any circumstances that would disrupt, postpone or cancel the staging of an event or prevent the broadcasting of the international television feed of a championship event due to factors beyond the Group's control.

"Considering the potential effects on the group of disruption to the championship and its events, the group's insurance policies do not typically cover the cancellation of an event, and whether a race promoter would be required to pay the group its contracted race promotion fee, with respect to an event that is cancelled due to any factor beyond the control of the group, depends on the terms and provisions of the applicable promoter agreement.

"However, if an event were to be cancelled due to the race promoter failing to meet its obligations under the race promotion contract, then the group may be entitled to indemnification from the race promoter for any lost media rights revenue."

These paragraphs do not speak directly to the current conflict, having also appeared almost identically in the 2024 annual report, before the outbreak of the war in the Middle East.

The reinstatement of a race backed by Bahrain this year will ease the financial blow of having had to call off two of the highest fee paying races of the season in April.

The effect of losing both races in the second quarter of the season was made clear by financial statements released by F1 parent company Liberty Media earlier this season that demonstrated Q2 revenue fell from US$1.34 billion in 2025 to just US$764 million this year.

The almost halving of revenue wasn't all down to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, however, with the shape of the calendar also having an effect. Last year there were nine races held between April and June, whereas this year only five were held after the Middle East rounds were called off.

The BBC reported earlier this year that losing Bahrain and Saudi would cost the sport more than £100 million ($187.5 million).

Speculation suggests a decision on Qatar and Abu Dhabi will now be made in early October, after this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Qatar Airways is the title partner of the Baku race.

The later the decision, the greater the chance that cancelling both races could see Andrea Kimi Antonelli awarded the championship via a press release.

Antonelli leads teammate George Russell by 81 points and could claim the title in Singapore on 11 October.

Required lead after Singapore: 150 points (125 points without Middle East)

Required lead after United States: 125 points (100 points without Middle East)

If both races are called off, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola is expected to replace them on 6 December.

The World Endurance Championship has already called off its season-ending races in the region, and the World Rally Championship recently called off its season-closing event in Saudi Arabia too.

The Race reported in late August that MotoGP had resolved to cancel its Qatar round, scheduled for 8 November, though series chief Carmelo Ezpeleta told Dazn at the weekend that "right now the idea is to go" and that "if nothing changes radically [in the region], the idea is that we will go".

MotoGP is owned by Formula 1's parent company, Liberty Media.

Though the UK government no longer issues advice against travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both the United States and Australia have issued the second-highest warning for both countries, urging the reconsideration of the need to travel.