The 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will “100 per cent” remain scheduled for the weekend of December 3-6, according to organisers Ethara.
F1 returned in Miami over the weekend following a five-week hiatus caused by the cancellation of races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Motorsport bosses pulled the plug on March 14 amid an escalation of the Iran war.
Losing those events meant a big financial hit for the sport, and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told reporters in the US last week they “may recover one”.
Rumours of calendar changes have circulated in recent weeks, but David Powell, chief portfolio & strategy officer at Ethara, insists there is no chance of Abu Dhabi being impacted.
He says there has been no approach or suggestion of a change to the date, and that the F1 season finale will take place as scheduled and contracted at Yas Marina Circuit.
“The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix dates are December 3-6 and they're not going to change,” Powell told The National. “They were never going to change.
“And there's a good reason for that. You must leave enough time between the end of the season and the new season to give F1 teams time to rebuild their cars, to do testing, to have them ready to go for the first race of the season in 2027. So, the season can only end that first week of December. It can't push back any further.
“And of course, we've sold already 30 per cent more tickets than we'd sold [at this point] last year. We've got a commitment to fans to make sure that they can make their plans for that week in December.
“What happened with the cancellations of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, there was a lot of forum chatter, and one of the things that came up was trying to find another place in the calendar for Bahrain or Saudi Arabia's race to happen.
“That's more likely to happen before Abu Dhabi than us having to shift around. When races are in the calendar, they're fixed. So, it's just a case of Formula One trying to see whether they can squeeze another one in.
“But Abu Dhabi, we can say, is 100 per cent going to happen the weekend that it is scheduled for, and we look forward to another great event.”
2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – in pictures
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McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates winning the world championship at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen during the race at Yas Marina Circuit -
McLaren driver Lando Norris finished third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win the 2025 drivers' championship at the Yas Marina Circuit -
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
Max Verstappen en route to winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit -
McLaren's Lando Norris during the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Start of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit -
Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has his picture taken with the rest of the team at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
A flypast before the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
McLaren driver Lando Norris at the drivers' parade at Yas Marina Circuit -
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc -
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen with the rest of the team in Abu Dhabi -
Mercedes driver George Russell before the drivers' parade -
Aston Matin's Fernando Alonso and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli -
Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and Haas driver Oliver Bearman -
The Red Bull team move Max Verstappen's car on race day at Yas Marina Circuit -
McLaren engineers work on the car on Sunday -
Visitors arrive for race day at the Yas Marina Circuit -
A fan looks at the world championship trophy at Yas Marina Circuit -
Fans arrive for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix -
Nico Rosberg and Martin Brundle -
Oscar Piastri ahead of the race -
Social media creator Khaby Lame in the paddock at Yas Marina Circuit -
Terry Crews and Ronaldinho in Abu Dhabi
Powell added that existing bookings with performers, arrangements with suppliers and the plans of various F1 stakeholders were all further reasons why “everything is really locked in”.
F1 declined to comment about potential schedule changes but The National understands no concrete decisions have been taken. Adding a race to the calendar in October is the latest rumour. Baku hosts the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26 before the action moves to Singapore two weeks later and then Texas on October 25.
However, concerns remain over the logistical complexities of such a move and the welfare of personnel, given the increased workload caused by adding another race to an already demanding programme.
Right now, it is “business as usual” at Yas Marina Circuit with Powell saying ticket sales are holding up despite regional tensions, thanks in part to a spectacular 2025 event that saw the title decided in the UAE capital and McLaren’s Lando Norris crowned champion for the first time.
Lewis Capaldi and Zara Larsson have been confirmed to perform on Thursday, December 3, with further bookings imminent and the full entertainment programme to be revealed “in the next two months”.
“Our programme begins more than a year out with all the planning, all the commercial planning, all the operational planning – so it's very much business as usual. We launched our public ticket sale straight after the race the year before,” said Powell.
“There was a huge uptake in tickets after the 2025 event so we expect huge crowds to be with us again in December. We're 30 per cent up year-on-year so far. Formula One has been transformed into one of the most popular sports in the world … and then everyone has come to take it on good faith that in Abu Dhabi we deliver this Super Bowl experience with concerts and fantastic hospitality, a great guest experience. There's a lot of trust in what we do.”
Such was the success of 2025, Ethara received the coveted F1 Promoter of the Year award. It was the first time the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix received recognition as the sport’s top attraction.
“[2025] was the biggest event we've ever held in Abu Dhabi,” added Powell. “We had record attendances. We had record visitation from international markets.
“It was, of course, the season championship decider and a new world champion in Lando Norris. So there was the excitement factor that culminated in the finale in Abu Dhabi.
“And we had the biggest and best entertainment programme, which is what the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is known for. We were recognised for that achievement by winning the Promoter of the Year award by Formula One, which is a very prestigious award. We'd never won it before. We were very happy to win that in a ceremony in January.”
As for 2026, Powell said: “I'd buy a ticket as soon as possible before they sell out. That would be my recommendation. I think get in there quickly. Otherwise, it'll be 2027 before you can buy another ticket to come to our event.”
