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Lusail International Circuit

2016 FIA WTCC Race of Qatar
View from the grandstand

The Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية, sometimes rendered Losail International Circuit) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar. The track is 5.419 km (3.367 mi) in length, with a main straight of 1.068 km (0.664 mi). It is surrounded by artificial grass intended to stop the sand encroaching on the track.

History

Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers at the cost of US$58 million, the track opened in 2004 and hosted the inaugural Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix in the same year, won by Sete Gibernau.[1] In 2007, Lusail added permanent outdoor lighting for night races. At the time, the lighting of the Lusail Circuit by Musco Lighting was the largest permanent venue sports lighting project in the world, a distinction that now belongs to another Persian Gulf motorsport venue, Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The first night race in MotoGP history was the 2008 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix in March 2008.

In February 2009, a GP2 Asia Series nighttime race took place. The World SBK visited Lusail in 2005–2009 and 2014–2019; and the WTCC visited there in 2015–2017.

The circuit hosted the 20th race of the 2021 Formula One season, the inaugural edition of the Qatar Grand Prix.[2] Before the second edition of the Grand Prix,[3] the circuit was renovated, the facilities upgraded, and the capacity was increased from 8,000 to 52,000.[4]

Beginning in 2024, the FIA World Endurance Championship is set to host its season opener at Lusail, the Qatar 1812 km, in addition to the Prologue, the championship's pre-season testing sessions.[5]

Layout history

Lusail International Circuit layout history
  • Grand Prix Circuit (2004–2022)
    Grand Prix Circuit (2004–2022)
  • Grand Prix Circuit (2023–present)
    Grand Prix Circuit (2023–present)

Events

Current

Former

Lap records

The official lap record for the current circuit layout is 1:24.319, set by Max Verstappen driving for Red Bull Racing in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. As of March 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Lusail International Circuit are listed as:

Racing history

Since 2008, MotoGP class has run under lights at Losail

Formula One

MotoGP

FIA World Endurance Championship

Superbike World Championship

World Touring Car Championship

FIM Endurance World Championship

Motocross World Championship

Speedcar Series

GP2 Asia

References

  1. ^ "Losail International Circuit". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  2. ^ "F1 to hold first Qatar Grand Prix at Losail this November". Motor Sport Magazine. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023".
  4. ^ Horton, Phillip (30 May 2023). "Qatar GP organisers reveal Lusail renovations". motorsportweek.com. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  5. ^ Tribune, Qatar (2023-06-11). "'Qatar 1812' unveiled as name for 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship race". Qatar Tribune. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  6. ^ "Qatar Grand Prix 2023". Formula1.com. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "FIA WEC 2024 - Qatar 1812 KM - Race Final Classification by Driver Fastest Lap" (PDF). FIA. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  8. ^ "2024 Aramco F4 Saudi Arabia - Race 4 Final Classification" (PDF). 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  9. ^ "2024 Classic Endurance Racing - Qatar 1812 KM - Race (1 Hour 1 Minute 2 Seconds) Final Classification" (PDF). FIA. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  10. ^ "2024 Qatar Touring Car Championship - Qatar 1812 KM - Race 2 10 Laps / Max. 35 Minutes) Final Classification" (PDF). FIA. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Qatar Grand Prix 2021". Formula1.com. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Lusail International Circuit, Qatar 2009 – GP2 Asia results". autoevolution.com. 13 February 2009. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011.
  13. ^ "2006 Losail Grand Prix Masters". Motor Sport Magazine. 29 April 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  14. ^ "World Superbike Motul Qatar Round, 24-26 October 2019 Results Tissot Superpole Race" (PDF). World Superbike. Dorna. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Qatar Superbike1-QCH1-MRF Challenge 17th Friday October QSBK-1 QCH-1-MRF Challenge – MRF Challenge Race-2". 17 October 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  16. ^ "QCH R5-Porsche G3 CUP-Radical Car Feb.6,2015- QCH4-GT3 Cup-Radical Car – GT3 Cup Race 2". 6 February 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  17. ^ "WTCC 2015 » Losail International Circuit Round 23 Results". 27 November 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Qatar Round, 2-3-4 November 2017 World Supersport – Results Race" (PDF). World Superbike. Dorna. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  19. ^ "2009 Losail Speedcar – Round 5". Motor Sport Magazine. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Motul Qatar Round, 24-26 October 2019 Race Results" (PDF). World Superbike. Dorna. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Asia Road Racing Championship Saturday 3rd October 2015 Asian Production 250 CC Race 2 Race (9 Laps) started at 21:30:53". 3 October 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  22. ^ "2014 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 6 Losail International Circuit, Qatar December 14, 2014 Underbone 130cc Race 1" (PDF). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Losail International Circuit.