Liberty Media, the owners of F1 have announced a race on the weekend of 19 November in Qatar to replace the Australian GP which was canceled due to the stringent COVID19 quarantine protocols in the country. Along with this, F1 has also signed a 10 year deal with the promoters of the race which will make the Qatar GP a regular fixture on the F1 calendar starting from 2023.
"There was a strong will from Qatar to be helpful to F1, and in the course of this process, the vision for a longer partnership was discussed and agreed upon for 10 years. The step from the gesture to be helpful to F1 in 2021 to a long-term strategy was short and simple and the vision for F1 to be the showcase for Qatar after the FIFA World Cup in 2022 was the driving force behind this long-term agreement. As part of the longer-term deal, discussions will continue regarding the location for the Grand Prix from 2023 with further details to be provided at a later time," said F1 in a statement announcing the race.
Layout of the circuit in Qatar
The race will be held at the Losail International Circuit which has hosted many MotoGP races for over a decade. The race will form a triple header with the Mexican and Brazilian legs of the F1 season, followed by races in Saudi Arabia and the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi. F1 could change the calendar a bit and could perhaps shift dates slightly to make the middle eastern leg a tripe header considering the logistical issues with everyone and all the gear traveling from across the other end of the planet.
As of now, no change has been announced with the race in Qatar scheduled for the November 19 weekend and the race in Saudi Arabia two weeks later on the weekend of December 2, and then the last race in Abu Dhabi a week after. F1 has also announced Ooredoo, the international communications giant will be the sponsor for the race. We are very pleased to welcome Qatar to the Formula 1 calendar this season and for the longer term from 2023.
The F1 CEO has closed a 10-year deal with Qatar which starts in 2023
"The Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation and Authorities have been incredible and have moved at great speed to ensure the race can take place this season at the Losail Circuit, famous to many as the host of MotoGP. 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. The huge effort from all the teams, F1 and the FIA has made it possible to deliver a 22-race calendar, something that is very impressive during a challenging year and something we can all be proud of," said F1 President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali.
"This exciting agreement means that Qatar will be the home of both Formula 1 and MotoGP for the next decade, which are the pinnacle events in global motorsport. We have a proud motorsport history and this is the next chapter for us. Qatar will be a great destination for F1 and we look forward to welcoming all the drivers, teams, media, and fans very soon," Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, President of Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, added.
