F1 says yes to Qatar, but Verstappen's safety conditions are still waiting for an answer

As GPblog reported earlier on Tuesday in Formula 1 makes a decision on season finale in Imola, FOM will inform the owners of the Italian circuit this week that preparations to host a Grand Prix can be halted. Qatar and Abu Dhabi will conclude the campaign as planned as part of one final triple-header, starting in Las Vegas on 21 November, according to The Independent. The Qatar race is on 29 November and Abu Dhabi follows on 6 December.

Verstappen has been the most prominent driver to speak up on the subject. In late September, he told Viaplay: "Normally I am happy to go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but you know, when there is a war nearby, and if some of the countries are in conflict with each other, then I think we shouldn't go." At the rearranged Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang, he denied that this amounted to a boycott threat. "I just said that I love going there, but, of course, under the right terms," he said.

In Mexico City, the Red Bull driver set out what those terms were. He told reporters that he did not expect a MotoGP-style split in the F1 paddock, but he added a clear caveat.

By the time of the Brazilian GP, his tone was more cautious. "I trust that the FIA and Formula 1 will make the right decision. I do follow the news, but ultimately we only know about 10 percent of what is actually happening there." That shift came amid reports that F1 has urged drivers and teams to avoid public comments that could undermine confidence in the two remaining Gulf races.

Some progress has been made on the first condition. As GPblog revealed last week, the Lusail circuit has an internal shelter plan that explicitly covers F1's visit. It names a tunnel under the track with capacity for 3,500 people and the pit building at 8,100. F1's broader case is that neither the travel advice nor the insurance situation has changed since May.

The FIA said it is closely monitoring developments across the Middle East, working with the relevant national authorities, our Member Clubs, FOM, the teams and other stakeholders. However, nothing in the public record shows that drivers have been given guarantees of their own. Before MotoGP travelled, its riders went further and asked for written shelter and evacuation plans, as well as insurance in case an airspace closure left personnel stuck in the country.

Verstappen's second condition is beyond the reach of any memo. Speaking in Austin, GPDA director Carlos Sainz warned that confidence in the finale was "relatively premature", while admitting that drivers depend on information they do not have. "The GPDA, as united as we are, we don't have half of the information that Formula 1 and FIA have with all the political battles that are happening in the world," he said.

Without Imola, F1 no longer has a European fallback if the region deteriorates before the paddock arrives in Lusail. Verstappen's "coming weeks" now run through Las Vegas and straight into Qatar. Whether he still feels the terms are right will only become clear when he faces the media in Lusail.