Liberty boss went to Qatar in person before F1 gave its Gulf finale the green light

GPblog reported on Tuesday that FOM had decided in principle to tell Imola to halt its preparations, in Track told to halt F1 preparations as Gulf double-header edges closer. F1 confirmed the decision later the same day. Qatar will host its race on 29 November and Abu Dhabi will close the season on 6 December. What has emerged since is how F1 reached its decision.

Chang's visit to the MotoGP weekend, which passed without incident, was meant to give him a clearer picture of conditions on the ground and will feed into F1's decision-making. His trip came on top of F1's own personnel, who were stationed in both Gulf host cities to assess the situation directly.

According to reports, F1 and the FIA have also relied heavily on the travel advice issued by individual governments. The message to teams and drivers is that F1 will not hesitate to pull the plug if the threat assessments it receives every hour point to unnecessary risk.

The detail that matters most to the paddock is insurance. F1 has always understood that a formal travel ban would block the events, because it would affect insurance policies. Many governments have warned about the risk of rapid escalation and travel disruption, but there has been no outright 'do not travel' order for Qatar or Abu Dhabi.

F1's own case rests on the same point. An F1 source said that travel advice still permits travel, travel insurance remains valid and events are going ahead, citing the MotoGP race in Qatar. The Independent noted that at the height of the conflict earlier this year, UK guidance had advised against "all but essential" travel to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Until the paddock arrives in Lusail, that is the indicator to watch.

F1 said all 11 teams support finishing the season as planned, despite concerns. The Imola back-up was not cheap and reports that F1 had been prepared to underwrite an extra race estimated at around $10 to 15 million so that the season could still end on its original date. That week F1 had to decide whether to approve major infrastructure spending at the Italian track or stand it down.

An F1 spokesperson played down the significance of the announcement.

F1 has said that safety remains its priority and that it will act if things get worse before the races. Without Imola, Las Vegas could become the final round of 2026 if the Gulf races fall through.