Qatar Grand Prix: presentation of the Losail circuit
F1 continues its Asian tour and stops at the Losail circuit for the second time in its history. The editorial staff of Motors Inside summarizes everything you need to know about this very recent track.
Located a few kilometers from Doha, the capital of Qatar, the Losail circuit is preparing to host its second Formula 1 Grand Prix. The first edition was held in 2021 while the Australian Grand Prix was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As the host country of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar was then unable to host the ten teams on its soil last season.
5, 380 km, 16 turns
If the circuit is thus quite new for F1 supporters, it is on the contrary well known to motoGP fans which it has been hosting races since 2004.
Measuring 5,380 km long, it consists of 16 turns and a single straight line, that of the pit lane, which serves as the DRS zone. Similar to Bahrain at first glance, the Qatari layout turns out to be much more winding. Tight turns alternate with fast curves that challenge the aerodynamic abilities of our twenty single-seaters. Designed for MotoGP races, the tarmac is perfectly smooth while the track is totally flat. We should therefore expect to see the single-seaters whizzing by at very high speed.
The Qatar Grand Prix is a night race so that the cars benefit from milder temperatures except that this year Losail is hosting a sprint weekend whose Saturday’s Sprint Shootout will take place during the day. Teams will thus have to manage significant temperature variations that drastically change the track conditions.
Knowing how to tame the asphalt
Traditionally, the tarmac offers little grip in the Gulf countries due to sand and dust, but Losail has a brand new asphalt. Understanding the impact of this new surface on grip and tire degradation will therefore be a priority for the teams who only have one free practice session, as it’s a sprint weekend.
There’s not only the asphalt that’s getting a makeover. The circuit has also been equipped with a brand new paddock to make the place more sustainable. As a reminder, Formula 1 and the Qatari Federation of Motor and Motorcycle Sports have signed a multi-year agreement, keeping the Qatar Grand Prix on the calendar until 2033.
The Pirelli Choice
Just like in Japan, Pirelli brings to Qatar the C1 in hard, the C2 in medium, and the C3, in soft. If the Suzuka circuit is one of the most demanding, both for the machines and for the men, Losail is also a circuit that puts the tires to a tough test.
« In terms of severity, Losail is a very difficult circuit for tires, similar to Silverstone and Suzuka. There is a wide variety of turns, most of them at medium or high speed. The series of turns between turns 12 and 14 reminds us of the famous Istanbul turn 8: one of the most demanding for tires in recent Formula 1 history, » explains Mario Isola.
In good shape at Suzuka after his non-performance in Singapore, Max Verstappen is obviously the big favourite and should be able to seal his third world championship as early as this weekend. We then expect to see McLaren as the second force closely followed by Mercedes and Ferrari who will, no doubt, continue to have a good battle.
