The Grid Today, Nov. 10: Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix

The FIA says Formula 1 will still race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi this season, but Formula 1 itself has not yet confirmed the final three rounds in writing. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said Monday that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix will go ahead as planned for now, and that each event is being reviewed on security advice and logistics.

That is the one story today that decides where the season ends. Everything below was checked against official Formula 1, FIA, NASCAR and organizer pages on Nov. 10, and anything that is only reported, not confirmed, is labeled that way.

The one storyline: the Gulf finale is on, until F1 says it is

Here is what is confirmed. Ben Sulayem told The National that the FIA’s position is that both races proceed, that it is working with national authorities, clubs, Formula 1 and the teams, and that safety will not be compromised. Qatar is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 29 at Lusail and Abu Dhabi for Sunday, Dec. 6 at Yas Marina.

Here is what is not confirmed. PlanetF1 reports that Formula 1’s commercial rights holder is poised to announce that the season will not finish at Imola, which had been held as a backup, and that the decision could come as soon as today. That is reporting, not an announcement. The FIA statement also says “at present,” which is the language of a position that can change.

Spectators in the grandstand at Losail International Circuit in Qatar watching a MotoGP race — Spectators at Losail International Circuit during a 2013 MotoGP race. Illustrative image, not from this year’s Qatar round. Photo: Trinidade via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Analysis: the calendar matters less for the trophies than for the money and the pecking order. Antonelli and Mercedes have already won both titles, so what is left is the fight for second in the drivers’ standings, 129 points in total, and a freight-and-travel operation that cannot be rebuilt in a week. Our earlier look at the Gulf finale explains why freight, not headlines, usually decides these calls, and Yamaha’s decision to skip MotoGP Qatar shows that some teams were already making their own risk calls.

Race and session schedule

There is no Formula 1, MotoGP or NASCAR track action today. NASCAR and the World Endurance Championship both finished their seasons on Sunday. All times below are Eastern, converted from each series’ local times, and both timetables are subject to change.

Rally Saudi Arabia, Nov. 11 to 14: the FIA says the rally will still run on those dates, but as a round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, not the World Rally Championship. Rally Italia Sardegna was the WRC’s final round.
Formula 1, Las Vegas Grand Prix (official timetable): Practice 1 Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. local), Practice 2 Thursday at 11 p.m., Practice 3 Friday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Qualifying Friday at 11 p.m., Grand Prix Saturday, Nov. 21 at 11 p.m. (8 p.m. local, 50 laps or two hours).
MotoGP, Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimão (organizer’s provisional timetable): Practice Friday, Nov. 20 at 5:45 a.m. and 10 a.m., Qualifying Saturday, Nov. 21 starting at 5:50 a.m., Sprint Saturday at 10 a.m. (12 laps), Warm-up Sunday, Nov. 22 at 4:40 a.m., Race Sunday at 8 a.m. (25 laps). The same page lists different Sunday times elsewhere, so confirm before you set an alarm.
Formula 1, Qatar and Abu Dhabi: race days are Sunday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Dec. 6, as listed by PlanetF1 and RacingNews365. I did not find session times, and the calendar decision above is still open.

The Las Vegas and Portugal weekends overlap, which means a Friday night and Saturday morning split between two series. Plan accordingly.

The Sphere in Las Vegas with Formula 1 grandstands built beside it before a race — The Sphere with Formula 1 grandstands in place ahead of a Las Vegas Grand Prix. Illustrative image, not from this year’s race. Photo: Harold Litwiler via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Penalties and stewards’ decisions

Formula 1, São Paulo: per Formula 1’s race report, Charles Leclerc took a five-second penalty for a collision with Liam Lawson and the two swapped positions afterward. Alex Albon also took five seconds for a Turn 1 rejoin, and Nico Hülkenberg took 10 seconds for going off at Turn 1. Our breakdown of the Leclerc penalty has what it cost Ferrari.
Formula 1, São Paulo, under investigation: the report notes a post-race investigation into Kimi Antonelli pulling out of his pit box into the path of an Alpine, and one into Lewis Hamilton passing Oliver Bearman off track, which Hamilton resolved by giving the place back. I did not find a published decision on Antonelli’s case.
MotoGP and NASCAR: no new penalties were reported from Qatar or Homestead in the sources I checked.

Driver changes

Honda (MotoGP): Jake Dixon replaced the injured Joan Mir in Qatar and finished 14th for his first MotoGP points. Luca Marini withdrew from the Qatar weekend with persistent fatigue, so Dixon was Honda’s only starter on Sunday. I found no confirmed lineup for Portugal yet. Our report on Dixon’s call-up has the background.
Aprilia (MotoGP): Jorge Martín raced Qatar with a fractured right wrist, finishing third in the sprint and seventh on Sunday.
Haas (Formula 1): Haas’s statement last week named only São Paulo for Rafael Câmara. I found no announcement about Las Vegas, and no new Formula 1 seat changes today.

Official announcements

FIA (Nov. 10): the third and final 2026 review of its engine-upgrade system, which covered races 12 to 18, produced no additional homologations for any manufacturer, according to the FIA statement as reported by PlanetF1. The earlier allowances stand: Mercedes gets one upgrade for 2026 and one for 2027, Ferrari, Audi and Honda get two of each, and Red Bull Ford gets none. The FIA kept the performance figures confidential, and the next review opens at the 2027 season opener. Our explainer on the Red Bull Ford benchmark shows why the zero matters.
FIA (Nov. 9 and 10): the president’s interview with The National, covered above.
Formula 1 (Nov. 8): the São Paulo Grand Prix report and the Las Vegas timetable.
NASCAR (Nov. 8): the Homestead championship race recap.
FIA and the WRC Promoter (Sept. 17): the final-round announcement that moved Rally Saudi Arabia out of the 2026 WRC.

The board in one glance

Formula 1: Lando Norris won in São Paulo from pole by 14.6 seconds, Max Verstappen climbed from 21st to second, and Isack Hadjar made it a Red Bull double podium. Mercedes clinched the constructors’ title with 652 points to Ferrari’s 510. Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings on 390, and Verstappen holds second on 279 ahead of George Russell on 262, Hamilton on 261, Leclerc on 249 and Norris on 246. Our constructors’ stat walks through how Mercedes got there.

The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve circuit in Portimão, Portugal, seen from above — The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve at Portimão, where Marc Márquez can clinch the MotoGP title. Illustrative image. Photo: Vitor Oliveira via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

MotoGP: Marco Bezzecchi won Qatar from pole, 3.083 seconds clear of Marc Márquez. Márquez leads Martín by 60 points, 431 to 371, with Bezzecchi on 357 and at most 74 points left across Portugal and Valencia. Per GrandePremio’s reading of the rules, Márquez clinches at Portimão by winning Saturday’s sprint or by gaining at least two points on Martín, and 14 points over the weekend would settle it regardless. Aprilia has cut Ducati’s constructors’ lead to eight points. Our Qatar analysis has the full sprint math.

NASCAR: Kyle Larson clinched his third Cup title during Stage 1 at Homestead, the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson, and Hendrick Motorsports’ 16th title. Ryan Blaney won the race, Kaden Honeycutt took the Truck title and Justin Allgaier the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title. Our Homestead preview explains how Larson got within nine points.

Endurance: the No. 8 Toyota of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa won the Hypercar drivers’ title at Monza by finishing 11th, while a Cadillac won the race. Our Toyota title piece covers the manufacturers’ side.

Schedules, results and statements were taken from formula1.com, the FIA, nascar.com, the Portuguese Grand Prix organizer and reports that cite them. Confirm session times on each series’ official site before you plan around them.