About Losail
The Lusail International Circuit is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar. Built in just under a year, it opened in 2004 and has been a staple of the MotoGP calendar, hosting the first-ever night race in MotoGP history in 2008. It joined the Formula One calendar in 2021.
The track is surrounded by artificial grass to prevent sand from the neighboring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The layout is dominated by medium and high-speed corners, flowing seamlessly into one another. It is a physically demanding track for drivers due to the high G-forces sustained over the lap.
Racing under floodlights gives the venue a spectacular look. The main straight is over 1 km long, providing the primary overtaking opportunity into the tight Turn 1. The circuit's fast, flowing nature has drawn comparisons to Silverstone and Suzuka, making it a favorite for drivers who enjoy high-speed precision.
Lusail International Circuit is owned by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, a body chaired by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, brother of the current Emir. The venue's flagship Formula One deal signed in October 2021 spans a decade at a reported hosting fee of over 55 million US dollars per year, making it one of the most expensive F1 contracts globally on a per-race basis. Following the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar's Ministry of Culture and Sports invested an additional 195 million dollars to upgrade the paddock and construct a new permanent Formula One-specific pit building, replacing the temporary MotoGP-era garages that had been in service since 2004. The Airbus A380 hangar of Qatar Airways sits just 12 kilometres to the south, and Qatar's flag carrier operates a dedicated shuttle bus for team personnel during race week using its own airport ground fleet.