F1 finale deadline decision revealed as 'Imola getting ready'

Verstappen fights with Piastri at Imola — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 finale deadline decision revealed as 'Imola getting ready'

STILL no decision?

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Friday 25 September 2026 15:57

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F1 team bosses Ayao Komatsu and Mattia Binotto have revealed the new deadline to make a decision on the location of the 2026 season finale.

Ongoing conflict in the Middle East means that the Qatar-Abu Dhabi double header is expected to downsized and moved, with the presumptive champion Kimi Antonelli ending his record-breaking season at Imola instead.

However, a staring match between F1 and the race organisers means that no final decision has been made yet, just two months out from the first of the two late-season races.

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Haas boss Komatsu revealed in the team representatives' press conference at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that Imola is 'getting ready' to host a December race, and said that F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is targeting a mid-October decision.

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Komatsu said this week: “I believe Stefano is targeting to tell us in mid-October, right? So, I believe that Imola is getting ready in case we have to do it.

“I think the challenges are, for instance, things like you know European motorhome structure, etc. All those people who looks after them, they have a winter job.

“So we need to find alternative people to do that. But I'm sure we all, as a F1 community, will make sure if we have to do that, that will happen. But hopefully things can stay as a baseline. We can go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. That would be really good.”

Audi chief Binotto added: "As we discussed during the F1 Commission last Monday, middle of October is the last call for such a decision.

"The challenges are more organisation and logistics. I would think from a technical, often we may say winter time, snow tyres. But at the end, as a matter of fact, the average temperature in Imola in that time of the year, it's hotter than Las Vegas by the time we got the race in Las Vegas.

"So I don't think that's a true concern. It's more from the organisation and the logistics, really. And again, mid of October, hopefully we make we make the right decision."

PRACTICE RESULTS: Azerbaijan GP times and positions

F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Imola Ayao Komatsu Mattia Binotto