Surprise option overtakes Portimao for F1 season finale replacement

Imola has emerged as a leading candidate to host this year's F1 season finale, potentially leapfrogging Portimão in the running to replace Middle Eastern rounds that may yet be cancelled, according to a report by The Race, which has been corroborated by RacingNews365 sources.

The prolonged tensions between the United States and Iran have already caused the postponement of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

With the instability in the region continuing, the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix — which end the campaign — look increasingly at risk of being removed from the calendar.

The Bahrain Grand Prix has been salvaged, and is now scheduled to take place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on 4 October, forming a triple-header with Azerbaijan and Singapore, which is a logistically convenient, if not unique, solution.

As the uncertainty now extends further down the calendar, with question marks hanging over how F1 will bring the season to a close, an additional round in early December is now considered the most viable option, two weeks after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, should both Qatar and Abu Dhabi be lost.

That, alongside the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, would bring the schedule back up to 22 grands prix, satisfying key commercial obligations.

Portimão had been widely considered the frontrunner for such a role, given the Algarve International Circuit's track record of hosting the Portuguese Grand Prix and its relatively mild December climate.

However, doubt has crept in over its suitability. The circuit holds a two-year deal to host the Portuguese Grand Prix in 2027 and 2028 and is understood to want to carry out significant infrastructure improvements ahead of those events, work that could be compromised by staging a race in December.

That has opened the door for Imola, which is now firmly on Formula 1's shortlist. The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari has previous experience of late-season hosting, having returned to the calendar in November 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic before appearing again in 2022 as a replacement for the Chinese Grand Prix, with a three-year deal subsequently keeping it on the calendar through to 2025.

A December race at Imola would present real challenges, with average daily high temperatures of just 7°C making tyre warm-up particularly difficult.

Nevertheless, there is a compelling narrative case for it: Kimi Antonelli is the favourite to clinch the drivers' championship this season, Ferrari remains in contention for the constructors' title, and Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali hails from Imola itself.