Lusail International Circuit has witnessed renovation and remodeling of the paddock area and circuit facilities for the upcoming F1 race.

Lusail International Circuit announced it will host the country’s first-ever F1 Sprint as it gears up for the flagship Formula 1 race.

Taking place from 6-8 of October, the newly refurbished state-of-the-art circuit will feature a 100km high-intensity dash that is only organised at few tracks worldwide. 

Qatar will join Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Austria, the United States, and Brazil in hosting the F1 Sprint this season. 

The F1 Sprint, which lasts around 25-30 minutes, stood as a trial run in 2021 at Silverstone and was deemed a major success, paving the way for its return in 2023.

Sprint qualifying, now known as the Sprint Shootout, is essentially a short-form qualifying session that sets the grid for the Sprint Race. 

Taking place between the qualifiers and the race, the F1 Sprint will be held on the Saturday of the race, allowing teams to win championship points.

However, the result of the F1 sprint will no longer set the grid for the opening of the Grand Prix, which is now decided by Friday’s qualifying session.

The fastest car on Friday evening will start from the pole on Sunday, October 8.  

With the Sprint no longer setting the Grand Prix grid, Formula 1 expects drivers to have a more attacking approach and take more risks during the 100km event, given an accident would not compromise them on the day of the official race.

Earlier this summer, the Lusail International Circuit witnessed renovation works in preparation for the return of Qatar’s Formula 1 race. 

In 2021, Qatar hosted its first-ever Formula One Grand Prix, replacing the cancelled Australian GP. The unexpected move led the country to revamp the Lusail Circuit in a short amount of time during the height of the Covid pandemic.

While the expansive upgrade fixated on the circuit, it did not revise the track layout.

Holding an 8,000 capacity, the 16-turn circuit 2021 revamp was the biggest project of its kind since its opening in 2004.