Qatar Grand Prix: track and statistics

Qatar is an emirate in the Middle East in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. Borders with Saudi Arabia. Almost the entire territory of the country is desert. The climate is continental tropical, dry. The time zone is GMT+3, just like in Moscow.

The Losail International Circuit, located near the capital Doha, was completed within a year. To meet the deadline, a thousand employees worked around the clock – the opening of the circuit and the first race took place on October 2, 2004.

The cost of the original project was $ 58 million, but in 2007 an artificial lighting system was installed on the circuit, which for some time was considered the largest, but then the system at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi became so.

Losail is home to motorcyclists. The stage in Qatar has been on the MotoGP calendar since 2004 and on the Superbike World Championship since 2005. The first competition involving open-wheel cars took place in 2009, when the circuit hosted the GP2Asia stage. The lap record in qualifying was then set by Nico Hulkenberg – 1:35.741, and one of the races was won by Sergio Perez. In 2014 Nikita Mazepin also took part in this circuit, his best result was second place.

In 2021, Formula 1 came to Losail and took its place in an exciting and interesting end to the season that decided the fate of the championship title.

The race in Qatar is the third stage in the Middle East on the seasonal calendar and will be held under artificial lighting. The second practice, qualifying and race start after sunset. This year the stage will be held with a sprint on Saturday.

Talks of Qatar wanting to host the first tests and then the Formula 1 Grand Prix began in 2008, when a modernization project was developed to bring the circuit into line with FIA requirements. To demonstrate the seriousness of their plans, the organizers held the GP2 Asia podium, but then the talk was halted for political reasons – due to the proximity to the Bahrain Grand Prix and inevitable comparisons.

When unrest began in Bahrain in 2012, Qatar started talking about Formula 1 again, even building a new circuit more suitable for open-wheel cars.

The contract with Formula 1 was signed in September 2021 – and immediately for ten years. But the first phase took place outside the contract, which is only now beginning. The Qatar Grand Prix took the vacant place on the calendar following the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix and became the final stage of a series of three Grand Prix in a row, which started in Mexico and Brazil. They decided not to hold the race in 2022 – Qatar was hosting the FIFA World Cup.

There will be no champagne at the awards ceremony, but organizers will offer an alternative non-alcoholic soft drink for riders to celebrate their success.

Characteristics of the trajectory

Losail is a narrow high-speed circuit designed for motorcycle racing, with predominantly fast and medium-speed corners. It will be difficult to overtake in wide Formula 1 cars with sensitive aerodynamics. The only suitable area to fight for position is the kilometer-long straight with a single DRS zone and braking before the first corner.

The kilometer-long straight stretch is supplemented with sixteen fast interlocking bends, where the tires work intensively and wear out quickly. The teams will have to find the traditional compromise between downforce and speed.

The series of 12-14 corners has a triple apex, essentially one tight right-handed corner, a bit like the famous Turn 8 in Turkey, but turned in a different direction.

The organizers have brought the circuit into compliance with FIA requirements. The main changes have been made to the entrance and exit of the pit lane to prevent cars from entering the same area at different speeds. Nets have been installed on the pit wall to protect against debris in the event of an incident at the start.

Before the 2023 round, the circuit was improved again. The capacity of the stands was increased, the parking spaces were modernized, the fan zone and VIP areas were expanded, including the Formula 1 paddock club. The organizers renovated the paddock, the medical and media center and increased the number of boxes. New mesh safety barriers from Swiss company Geobrugg have been installed along the circuit, which meet FIA Grade 1 standards and provide good visibility from the stands. The marshals’ posts and light panels have been updated to meet FIA and FIM standards.

Weekend schedule

You can follow the progress of all Formula 1 sessions on our live broadcast page.

Tire kits issued to teams for the weekend

In Qatar, for the sixth time this year (and the second in a row), teams will receive three ‘hard’ compositions: C1, C2 and C3 as Hard, Medium and Soft.

Performance of current riders in Qatar

Max Verstappen: “The championship title in the sprint can be won on Saturday – and that is our main goal.

It’s nice to come to Qatar and have won the Constructors’ Championship ahead of schedule. This track is fun to race on, but it will be a difficult weekend for all of us due to the warm weather. High temperatures will be a key factor.

The weekend is held in a Saturday sprint format, so it is important to get as much information as possible in one training session. I can already win the championship title on Saturday – that will be my main goal. I hope we will remember this weekend for a long time!”