The possibility that Formula 1 could end the 2026 season in Europe has raised concerns for Guenther Steiner. The former Haas team principal believes that weather conditions would represent the greatest obstacle if the championship needs to replace the traditional Abu Dhabi finale.
This possibility has begun to be considered in light of the uncertainties caused by the conflict in the Middle East. Recently, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stated that the sport intends to make a final decision by mid-September if the regional scenario remains undefined. According to the CEO, if changes are necessary, the substitute circuits will be in Europe.
During his appearance on the Red Flags podcast, Steiner evaluated that racing in Europe between November and December would be a risky bet: “I think it doesn’t make sense to race in Europe in November or December. The weather-related risk is very high. I don’t believe there are many options. It has to be somewhere that makes sense for the teams, where they aren’t just burning money. There also needs to be revenue. This is a business,” he stated.
The former executive also stressed that any alternative must be financially viable, not merely designed to keep the calendar full. In his view, finding a circuit capable of hosting a late-year event would be a challenge, even with Formula 1’s desire to preserve a robust schedule.
Steiner explained that including Malaysia as a contingency option helps ensure that the championship remains at more than twenty races if the schedule needs to be adjusted. Still, he regards reaching the twenty-two rounds desired by Domenicali as difficult: “I think it will be tough, but that is why Malaysia was added as an alternative, to guarantee at least more than twenty races. Stefano would like to have at least twenty-two, but I believe finding a 22nd venue to run at the end of the year will be hard,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Domenicali has already stated that Formula 1 remains focused on delivering a 24-race calendar in 2027. The administrator also highlighted that contingency plans are ready to be activated if the situation in the Middle East continues to hinder races in the region next year.
