Formula 1 will make a decision on whether the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix can go ahead as planned after mid-September.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Formula 1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali said the championship is continuing to monitor the situation in the Middle East and intends to wait as long as possible before making a final call.
The Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled for November 27-29, while the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is due to take place on December 4-6. Under the current calendar, the two events are set to conclude the season.
Earlier in March, Formula 1 cancelled the April rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia because of the situation in the region. The Bahrain Grand Prix was subsequently moved to Malaysia.
Domenicali noted that other major racing series have also adjusted their plans. The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), for example, will not travel to the Middle East at the end of the season and will instead remain in Europe.
"Our position is to give ourselves as much time as possible to assess how the situation develops and make a decision at the appropriate moment. It will be made sometime after mid-September," Domenicali told Motorsport Nextgen Auto.
The Formula 1 chief also confirmed that a European finish to the championship is being considered as a contingency plan.
"If the original plan becomes impossible, we will finish the season in Europe because we will not be able to travel to other regions. So the final race will be held in Europe. We are considering several options, but at the moment it would be inappropriate to promise or predict anything," he added.
