Entered the calendar at the last moment, due to the definitive forfeit of Australia, the Qatar hosted its first F1 GP in history this season. The race took place on the Losail track, inaugurated in 2004 and used already from that year for the MotoGP rounds. The track was much appreciated by the drivers, both for the speed on the single lap they were able to express in qualifying, and for the possibility of overtaking in the race, a feature that surprised many of the experts themselves. However, the short notice with which Qatar’s entry into the world championship was announced caused some headaches for the organizers.
“The paddock was not like it is now and the pitlane has also been changed, because otherwise the riders would have entered at 240 km / h – commented the circuit director, Juan Baquero, to the Spanish newspaper AS – we did everything in record time. There was no time for tec-pro barriers, so we built 2km of tire barriers in three weeks. Then, at the last minute, we got the tec-pro that they didn’t use in Vietnam. Everything was assembled in three ‘moves’. A real team result after a brutal effort “. Qatar will not appear on the F1 program in 2022, but has already signed an agreement with the Circus for ten seasons starting in 2023.
The future of this country’s GP, however, may not be written in Losail. “The track is very good – explained Baquero – but the country wants to have an even higher level. The only fixed grandstand is on the straight and many things need to be improved, such as access. There are several plans for the future – revealed the Iberian manager – a new circuit, a modification of this current one or a street circuit“. For the latter option, the capital Doha is obviously in pole position, just half an hour’s drive from the Losail track.
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