Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has again insisted that the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix will take place as planned, saying a backup race at Imola in Italy is likely no longer needed despite ongoing unrest in the Middle East. The Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races were earlier cancelled because of the US-Iran war, partly due to American bases in those countries, with Bahrain's race reportedly being moved to a circuit in Malaysia. The stance is also financial: each circuit pays around $50 million to host a race, so whichever side withdraws first faces the costs.