The Qatar races will be among the last in this year’s Formula 1 season, marking the country’s Grand Prix debut.
With Qatar filling the slot left by the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix, the F1 season will end with a Middle Eastern run, with Saudi Arabia’s first race on December 5 and Abu Dhabi on December 12. This is Qatar’s first ever Grand Prix and will run from November 19 to 21 at the Lusail International Circuit.
With all tickets now sold out, the hype behind Qatar’s inaugural races has been building both in Doha and around the world.
The Lusail Circuit is undergoing some minor changes to prepare for world class races to burn rubber. The circuit will be hold approximately 25,000 people with the newest additional grandstands. In 2016, the circuit was awarded A grade status.
It features pit lanes that are equipped to handle four wheel vehicles, as wheel as two wheeled vehicles as the circuit has hosted the MotoGP. Additional safety measures were put in place specifically for F1 such as safety barriers and run-offs.
As for the predicted winner, bookies have favored British driver Lewis Hamilton after an impressive weekend in São Paulo where he finished in pole position at the Brazilian GP, climbing from 10th to first. Experts also place Belgian-Dutch Max Verstappen, Finland’s Valtteri Bottas, and Mexican Sergio Pérez in good positions following their performance in São Paulo.
Mercedes’ Hamilton mentioned that he is looking forward to racing in Qatar. Hamilton wished the fans well and stated that he hopes to see them at the track, saying that the first-ever race in the country would be a unique event for everyone.
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“Alsalamu Aleikum Qatar! I hope everyone is well and I’m looking forward to the Qatar Grand Prix and hope to see you at the track soon. Join us for a unique experience at the Losail International Circuit for the first-ever Grand Prix in Qatar. See you there,” said Hamilton in his message to F1 fans in Qatar.
F1 boss Stefano Domenicali also expressed his delight to welcome the Qatar GP to the 2021 calendar. The Gulf state will be organising races under a 10-year-long signed agreement with F1.
“We are very pleased to welcome Qatar to the Formula 1 calendar this season and for the longer term, from 2023. We have shown that we can continue to adapt and there is huge interest in our sport and the hope from many locations to have a Grand Prix,” said Domenicali.
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