F1 boss makes Las Vegas final race decision

Greg Maffei, Stefano Domenicali, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 boss makes Las Vegas final race decision

Las Vegas could decide the F1 title

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 27 May 2026 21:57

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has opened up about further race cancellations on the 2026 calendar and whether Las Vegas might be the final race of the season.

Rounds four and five of the 2026 season, originally scheduled to take place in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, were cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

F1 did not replace the two rounds and instead the calendar slimmed down to a 22 race schedule, with major question marks remaining over whether the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will also be feasible.

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If the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix were both to be cancelled, that would make the Las Vegas Grand Prix the final race of the 2026 season. When this was put to Stefano Domenicali in a recent interview with L'Equipe, he outlined F1's outlook on further calendar disruption.

F1 SCHEDULE: Every race date for 2026 plus TV details

Las Vegas GP won't end 2026 season

First, Domenicali was asked how F1 is managing the uncertainty of the conflict in the Middle East, to which he responded: "As with Covid, we have to try to be as pragmatic as possible. The fact that we’ve withdrawn the Bahrain and Jeddah races so far stems from the fact that we knew it wasn’t possible to go there at the time.

"Especially since we’re entertainment, a sport that brings joy and pleasure. You have to go to a place where that’s truly the atmosphere. We hope, for Formula 1 but especially for the world, that the situation improves as quickly as possible.”

"Promoters like Qatar and Abu Dhabi are already selling tickets, and sales are going very, very well. But there will come a time when we have to make decisions, because it's not like a football match where there are only two teams, twenty-two players, and where substitutions are easy. For us, there's the logistical complexity, the costs."

Domenicali was then asked where do F1 draw the line, and he replied: "I don't want to go into details. Whether it's about the end of the year or rescheduling one or both races, the decision will be made in the coming months, when the time is right. To be transparent, I think rescheduling both is impossible. And even rescheduling just one won't be easy. There aren't many available slots."

It was put to the F1 chief whether things would become more apparent in the period between Baku and Singapore in October, where he added: "Exactly. I can confirm that we have a contingency plan. And if the two end-of-year races cannot take place because the war is not over, we will have other alternatives."

Finally, when asked if the championship will end at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22, Domenicali said certainly: "No, it won't be the last race on the calendar. I can confirm that."

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Stefano Domenicali