F1 SCRAPS BACK-UP PLAN TO RACE AT IMOLA IF MIDDLE EAST GPS ARE CANCELLED – REPORTS

F1 has killed its Imola contingency plan and will run the season finale in the Middle East or not at all. The series had lined up the Italian circuit as insurance if the Iran war made Qatar and Abu Dhabi untenable, but multiple reports say Imola's been told to stand down. Las Vegas runs next week, then Losail and Yas Marina close the calendar — assuming F1 holds its nerve.

The backdrop isn't reassuring. F1 already scrapped Bahrain and Saudi Arabia this season, punting the Bahrain name to Sepang. MotoGP, also Liberty-owned, raced Qatar last Sunday but Yamaha sat out and most riders demanded extra security guarantees. Toto Wolff dismissed the concerned riders, saying they "know nothing" about the situation. Other series — WEC, Dakar, Asian Le Mans — have pulled out of the region entirely.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the plan hasn't changed. Whether the situation has is another question.