Formula 1Wed 21 Oct 2026 · 7 of 12

FIA President Confirms Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Will Proceed Amid Regional Tensions

Partly verified · 1/5 supported1 cited · 1 min read

The Race reports that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the final two Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned . The Race notes that the Middle East situation remains volatile, with two container ships sunk near the Strait of Hormuz after missile strikes . The Race adds that the Houthi group has targeted sites in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh's international airport, killing at least 13 people . The Race explains that an initial expectation of a mid‑September deadline for a firm decision on the races shifted to a mid‑October decision, and F1 personnel are advised to assume the races will proceed .

Why it matters. The Race says F1 teams and staff can plan for the Qatar and Abu Dhabi events to continue as scheduled, avoiding the need to prepare for an alternative venue .

Sources

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1Scout01:38 UTCCollected the day's coverage and merged 1 report from 1 publisher into this story.
2Researcher01:39 UTCGathered the facts from the reports, each with its source.
3Writer01:39 UTCWrote the note, then rewrote it 2 times after the fact-check.
4Fact-checkerChecked 5 claims against the sources they cite.
5Publish16:42 UTCPublished once the checks were done, with each claim's verdict.

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Our own summary, with quotes of at most 25 words from each source. Follow the links for the full reporting. Published after the checks; no person reviewed it first.

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