Qatar will host the first F1 Grand Prix in November on a 10-year contract. The race, planned for November 21 at the illuminated Losail International Circuit outside Doha, will be part of the Middle East Grand Prix racing quartet, unprecedented 22 races on the calendar for the 2021 season. The championship starts in Bahrain, the first race is scheduled for December 5 in Saudi Arabia and the season concludes in Abu Dhabi on December 12.


Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1, said he was “very pleased” to welcome Qatar to the F1 calendar this season and in the longer term.
“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,” Domenicali said.

Abdul Rahman al-Mannai, president of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, said it was a  “very special day for Qatar motorsport and our nation’s ambitions as a host of major sporting events”.
“I’m very proud that we’ve been able to support F1 by stepping in and hosting a race in our country in such a short time frame, while also securing a ground-breaking long term deal with F1.”

Qatar also prepares to host the FIFA World Cup, the largest sporting competition in the world, in the winter of 2022. Doha also hosts the 2030 Asian Games, the third largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games, and is also another global event in Qatar since the World Athletics Championships in Doha two years ago. Motor fans will be thrilled as this will not be just a one-time replacement for F1, as the deal includes a commitment to race from 2023 to 2032.