AUGUST 27, 2026

Imola prepares for possible emergency F1 return

Italian motorsport authorities say Imola is being readied as a possible substitute if Middle East uncertainty disrupts the end of the Formula 1 season.

Imola may yet return to the Formula 1 calendar sooner than expected, although nobody involved will be hoping for the circumstances that make it necessary.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi remain scheduled to close the 2026 season, but continuing uncertainty in the Middle East has forced Formula 1 to maintain a European contingency. Imola has emerged as the clearest option if either event cannot proceed.

Automobile Club d'Italia president Geronimo La Russa has now confirmed that preparations are taking place with government and sporting authorities.

He called Imola the ideal solution and said Italy wants to be capable of staging a second Grand Prix within the current championship if required.

The planning appears to have progressed beyond an entry in Stefano Domenicali's notebook. Italian reports say teams have begun reserving accommodation around Imola for late November and early December.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said an early decision would be preferable, while accepting that the geopolitical situation makes firm deadlines difficult. Williams boss James Vowles noted that an end-of-season race at Imola could provide unusually lively weather.

The same uncertainty is affecting the provisional shape of 2027. Formula 1 would like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to open the season on consecutive weekends in March. The alternative under discussion is understood to begin with China, followed by Japan and Australia.

Albert Park cannot simply take an earlier date because work is continuing on its pit-lane facilities. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could instead move to later positions if conditions permit, with Formula 1 still intent on retaining a 24-race schedule.

None of this means Imola has been awarded a race. It means the circuit, local authorities and teams are doing the unglamorous work required so that a decision can be made quickly if the calendar needs to change.