Checkered Weekend: F1 Eyes European Finale If Middle East Rounds Fall, IndyCar Expands DC Race to Full 250 Miles, Pfaff Exits IMSA & Brown Makes O'Reilly Debut at Iowa

F1 is playing a waiting game on its season finale. IndyCar changed the distance on its new race. A fan-favorite IMSA team is stepping back. And a highly touted teenager is making his first national series start. Here is the weekend in motorsport.

F1 Sets September Deadline on Qatar and Abu Dhabi

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is creating genuine uncertainty around the end of the 2026 Formula 1 season, and CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed this week that a decision on the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix will not come before mid-September. Both races are currently scheduled as the final two rounds of the season following Las Vegas, completing what would be a closing triple-header. For now, they remain on the calendar. Both events are sold out. But the situation in the region remains volatile, and the FIA World Endurance Championship has already made its call, announcing it will end its season in Europe and cancel its planned Qatar and Bahrain rounds in late October and early November.

Domenicali made clear that if F1 is forced to make the same call, the replacement will not be in North America. "I just want to confirm to you that if this will not be possible, the end of the season will be in Europe, because we cannot go in other places," Domenicali told select media including Motorsport.com. Reports had circulated in the paddock about a potential double-header in Las Vegas or an additional race at Circuit of The Americas. Domenicali ruled both out. A double-header in Las Vegas, in particular, was dismissed on the grounds that the weekend immediately following the November 21 Las Vegas Grand Prix falls over the Thanksgiving holiday, putting F1 in direct competition with five NFL games including matchups in Los Angeles and Dallas.

He also pointed to the ongoing development of the Las Vegas event itself as a reason to avoid overloading it. "We don't want to ruin something that is growing by undervaluing what we are doing there." Of the European alternatives, Imola is the most realistic option. Both Turkey and Portugal would theoretically offer better weather but are currently undergoing upgrades to meet the standards required to rejoin the calendar. A December race in Europe brings its own weather risks, though Domenicali suggested the climate question cuts both ways given that Las Vegas in November is no guarantee of mild conditions either.

IndyCar Expands DC Race to a True 250 Miles

IndyCar officials announced this week that the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington D.C. will be extended from 125 to 147 laps, creating a 250-mile race in honor of America's 250th anniversary. The race takes place on Sunday, August 23 on a 1.7-mile, seven-turn street circuit threading through the capital, running down Pennsylvania Avenue and around the National Mall. The event is the centerpiece of a free two-day motorsport festival celebrating the country's semiquincentennial, and the distance extension adds nearly 18 percent more racing to the afternoon.

The practical implications are significant. The additional laps are expected to force at least one extra pit stop compared to the original format, adding a strategic layer that will challenge race engineers on fuel management and tire conservation across the tight D.C. street layout. The expanded broadcast window also gives Fox, IndyCar's exclusive television partner, more room to work with on a race day that begins with an extended pre-race show at 11:30 AM ET ahead of the green flag just after 1:00 PM ET. "With America celebrating 250 years of freedom and innovation in 2026, it is only fitting that the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be a true 250-mile race," said Freedom 250 Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker.

Pfaff Motorsports to Exit IMSA at Season's End

Pfaff Motorsports, one of the more beloved and successful outfits in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will withdraw from the series at the conclusion of the current season, RACER reported this week. The Toronto-based team, which clinched GTD and GTD Pro titles in 2021 and 2022 respectively as a Porsche customer, made the move to McLaren in 2024 and then to Lamborghini ahead of this season, debuting the Temerario GT3 in North America. The team currently sits seventh in the GTD Pro standings with three rounds remaining and won its first race with the Temerario GT3 at Road America, the same weekend team members were informed of the withdrawal.

Owner Chris Pfaff cited his growing commitment to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where he became a partner in the new ownership group at the end of 2025, as the primary reason for stepping back from IMSA. His focus is shifting toward developing CTMP into a year-round motorsport and car culture facility. "We've had a great run, I've really enjoyed being part of IMSA," Pfaff told RACER. "But we've made an investment in CTMP, and I have plans to do a lot to that facility. We want it to be a 12-month-a-year facility."

Pfaff left the door open for a return in some form. "I haven't shut the door. I'm looking at other possibilities, which I'm excited about. Pfaff Motorsports will continue, it will move on and develop. I hope to make it a bit broader in what it does." The team's relationship with Lamborghini beyond this season remains unclear, with Lamborghini Squadra Corse declining to comment when contacted by RACER. Full-time staff members have begun exploring opportunities to stay in the sport for 2027.

Carson Brown Makes O'Reilly Debut at Iowa

Carson Brown, the 18-year-old Richard Childress Racing development prospect who currently leads the ASA STARS National Super Late Model Tour championship, will make his NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series debut on Saturday at Iowa Speedway, driving the No. 32 for Jordan Anderson Racing. Brown comes in with four wins and two second-place finishes in six ASA starts this season, along with prior victories in ARCA and Trans-Am. He completed familiarization laps in an O'Reilly car at North Wilkesboro recently and will also run the ARCA race at Iowa on Friday as additional preparation ahead of Saturday's main event.

"The brake pressure is a lot different, just the torque behind it," Brown said of his North Wilkesboro session. "I just tried not to take it for granted and tried to learn as much as possible." Jordan Anderson spoke highly of how Brown has handled every step of his career to date. "Whether it's been Late Models, road racing or ARCA, he's continued to step into new situations, learn quickly and perform at a high level. What stands out to me is that Carson has never appeared overwhelmed by the moment."

Brown is considered a candidate to eventually step into the full-time O'Reilly seat at RCR if Austin Hill remains in the No. 33 Cup car on a permanent basis.