Another major UAE race cancelled as F1 prepares for Abu Dhabi change
The UAE has lost another 2026 event (Photo: Race Pictures)
18:00, 21 Sep
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
In another telling move for the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, the Michelin Dubai 24H Endurance Race has been moved out of the Gulf state.
GPblog understands that the final two races of the season, in Abu Dhabi and Qatar, won’t go ahead as planned, and this latest news further points to their cancellation.
Dubai 24H leaves UAE over Middle East uncertainty
Michelin 24H Series organisers Creventic have announced that they are moving their January race from the Dubai Autodrome to Kyalami in South Africa due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
While not the same circuit as F1’s Yas Marina, the conditions that led to the move out of the United Arab Emirates still apply to F1.
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Organisers said in a statement: “Due to the ongoing uncertainty within the Gulf region, and the impact therefore on the cost of logistics and reliable transport planning, organisers at Creventic – in close partnership with the associated venues – have reached the decision to adjust the upcoming winter calendar.
“This has been a significant and very difficult conclusion to reach for all involved, not least the fact that the Michelin 24H DUBAI is such an important part of Creventic motorsport and has been for 20 years.”
Abu Dhabi rapidly losing major motorsport events
The news follows a similar decision from the Asian Le Mans Series, which has moved its entire 2026/27 campaign to Europe, citing the conflict, and renamed it the ‘Winter Le Mans Series’.
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Yas Marina was due to host the Yas 12 Hours and 6H Abu Dhabi, but both of those events are now off the calendar, meaning the Formula 1 Grand Prix is the only major event left pencilled in.
F1 teams already told Middle East trip is not required
The motorsport withdrawals in the Middle East aren’t just related to the UAE, but also to Qatar, which is on the F1 calendar for the penultimate round of the championship from November 27 to 29.
The World Endurance Championship has also cancelled its races in Qatar and Bahrain, with the latter keeping its ‘Bahrain Grand Prix’ name on the F1 calendar, but moving to Malaysia.
GPblog earlier reported that F1 teams have already been told that they do not need to travel to the Middle East for the final two races of the season.
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Instead, Imola is set to become the finale for the 2026 campaign.
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