RaceFans has reported:

Formula 1 team principals say they need a decision by mid-October on whether the series’ final two races will take place as planned in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The championship has an alternative event at Imola under consideration, and teams say they need to know soon whether to prepare for that option.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said in Azerbaijan that he understood F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was aiming to provide an answer in mid-October. Domenicali had previously said a decision would come by mid-September. Komatsu said Imola was being readied in case it is needed.

“I believe Stefano was targeting to tell us in mid-October,” Komatsu said. “So, we all know what the situation is. “I believe that Imola is getting ready in case we have to do it. I think the challenges are, for instance, things like European motorhome structure, etcetera. All those people who look after them, they have a winter job, so we need to find alternative people to do that.”

He said the teams and wider F1 community would work together if the alternative event went ahead, while expressing hope that the scheduled races could proceed. “But I’m sure we all, as a family, community, will make sure if we have to do that, that will happen. But hopefully, as a baseline, we can go to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. That would be really good.”

The possible Imola event would present logistical and staffing challenges. Komatsu identified the European motorhome structure and the people responsible for it as examples, since those workers have winter jobs and would need to be replaced by other people if the race were staged.

Drivers have raised concerns that conditions at Imola could be very cold if the series raced there in December. Audi team principal Mattia Binotto said he believed the venue’s weather would not be cooler than at some other stops on the F1 calendar, and described organisation and logistics as the main difficulties.

“The main challenges are more organisation and logistics,” Binotto said. “I would think, from a technical point, often we may say wintertime and snow tyres, but at the end, as a matter of fact, the average temperature in Imola in that time of the year is hotter than Las Vegas. “So I don’t think that’s a true concern. It’s more from the organisation and the logistics, really. And again, mid-October, hopefully we may do the right decision.”

Binotto’s comments addressed the concern about cold-weather running, including the mention of snow tyres, while he also pointed to the need for a timely decision. The decision will determine whether F1 holds its final two races at their planned venues or uses Imola as a backup event.