Formula 1 considered holding a second race in Las Vegas to boost its calendar, but will end its season in Europe if the planned rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot go ahead.F1 announced last week that Malaysia will host a race in October after failing to restore Bahrain to the calendar. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were both due to host races in April, only to be called off due to the outbreak of the Iran war.The ceasefire opened the door for F1 to look at getting Bahrain back on the calendar, but the recent resumption in hostilities led to that plan being scrapped.It has also led to fresh doubt over the planned final two races of the season in Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6, which follow the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21.F1 is already working on contingencies for a stand-in race if these cannot go ahead, with Imola in Italy the current front-runner to host the season finale.Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, F1 CEO and president Stefano Domenicali said that a decision on Qatar and Abu Dhabi would not be taken until mid-September, giving the sport “maximum time.” He added that at present, the races are due to go ahead and are already sold out.Domenicali then confirmed that the season would end in Europe if the Middle East races cannot happen and there were “some possibilities on the table” for F1 to consider.When asked if thought had been given to another race in the United States, Domenicali said that although a second event in Las Vegas had been considered, F1 opted against pursuing the idea.This was not only due to awareness of competing against other major American sporting properties in that time of year, chiefly the NFL, but also due to a need to return to the UK for administrative reasons.“I can guarantee that we will not do any other race in the U.S.,” Domenicali said.“There was a possibility of having two races in Las Vegas. But we don’t want to ruin, let me put it in this way, a jewel that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there.“Of course, in that period of the year we are fighting in the U.S. against the NFL. That is a major sport. A lot of fans are watching that, so we need to avoid any kind of situation that would put us in front of something that, of course, is still very big in the U.S.“Considering the constraints that we have, we need to go back to close all the Brexit-connected documentation from abroad in the UK, and then go to another place.“Therefore, as I said, the only possibility is to finish in Europe within the same (calendar) framework of the time.”F1 considered holding a second Las Vegas Grand Prix this year, but opted against the idea. (Clive Mason / Getty Images)Las Vegas joined the F1 calendar in 2023, with the F1 organization serving as the race promoter and investing over half a billion dollars to create the grand prix. Earlier this year, F1 announced the race’s contract had been extended through to 2037.Had F1 seriously pursued the idea of a second race in Las Vegas this year, it would likely have needed to take place over the Thanksgiving weekend when the Qatar GP is currently scheduled.It would also have required close contact and discussion with local officials in Las Vegas, as well as Clark County, to gain permission to close the required roads that are used for the track, including the Strip, for a second weekend.Looking toward the end of the season, Domenicali said that Imola was “in the basket” of possible options for F1. Istanbul Park in Turkey and Portimão in Portugal are also potential considerations, though both are believed to require more work before they are ready to host a race at such short notice.By December, Imola only has an average high temperature of around 8ºC (46ºF) which would make for one of the coldest races of the season.But Domenicali noted that this was not much different to the temperatures for the night race in Las Vegas. “I think the weather should allow us to race in Europe, even at the beginning of December,” he said.