F2 provide clear calendar update despite F1 Middle East finale still at risk

Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel is confident F1 will head to Qatar and Abu Dhabi to end the current season, meaning the support championship will also reach its planned conclusion.

The ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, which has already affected the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, means there is still the lingering risk that F1 cannot travel to the region in late November for the final two rounds of the campaign.

Originally planned for April, the weekend in Bahrain was rescheduled for October and relocated to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia — which F2 did not travel to after replacement rounds in Miami and Montreal — and the event in Jeddah was cancelled altogether.

Linked to the United States-Iran War, it is current insecurity in Saudi Arabia — with Yemeni Houthis launching strikes in the country — that poses the greatest threat.

But the situation remains fluid, and despite a final call from F1 expected in mid-October, further changes cannot be entirely ruled out.

"Well, for the moment, and I think it's completely clear, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are on the calendar, and we are going to finish the championship in Qatar and in Abu Dhabi," Michel told media, including RacingNews365.

"We're following Formula 1 on that. Formula 1 is completely aware of the situation and what needs to be done to make sure that we exercise those two races in the best conditions, which will be the case.

"So we are really looking forward [to it], since we have a fantastic championship to finish with a lot of drivers, three drivers fighting for the title. We're really looking forward to having those two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi."

Could there be a replacement round?

F2's most recent round was in Baku, in support of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After that weekend, newly announced Haas driver Rafael Camara leads Racing Bulls hopeful Nikola Tsolov by seven points, with Alex Dunne a further 11 points back.

A final round in Imola, over what would be the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in December, is the most likely contingency plan for F1 at this stage, but it remains to be seen if F2 would also head to Italy to close off the title fight in that eventuality.

Asked whether there might be a replacement round, after Colton Herta indicated in Baku that there may or may not be further races, Michel would not be drawn in on that particular element of the matter.

"Well, Qatar and Abu Dhabi will not be cancelled, and, you know, the drivers always have an opinion on a lot of things," he said.

"But I tell you now: we want to finish the season there for sure, and that's what Formula 1 is doing as well, and that's where we're going, too."