Lusail International Circuit Explained

Lusail International Circuit
Location:Lusail, Al Daayen, Qatar
Coordinates:25.49°N 51.4542°W
Capacity:52,000
Fiagrade:1
Broke Ground:2003
Construction Cost: million
Events:Current:
Formula One
Qatar Grand Prix (2021, 2023–present)
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
(2004–present)
Doha motorcycle Grand Prix (2021)
FIA World Endurance Championship
Qatar 1812 km (2024)
Former:
World SBK
(2005–2009, 2014–2019)
WTCC Race of Qatar
(2015–2017)
Motocross World Championship (2013–2017)
FIM EWC 8 Hours of Doha
(2007–2012)
GP2 Asia (2009)
Layout1:Grand Prix Circuit (2023–present)
Length Km:5.419
Length Mi:3.367
Turns:16
Record Time:1:24.319
Record Driver: Max Verstappen
Record Car:Red Bull Racing RB19
Record Year:2023
Record Class:F1
Layout2:Motorcycle Circuit (2004–present)
Length Km2:5.380
Length Mi2:3.343
Turns2:16
Record Time2:1:23.196
Record Driver2: Max Verstappen
Record Car2:Red Bull Racing RB16B
Record Year2:2021
Record Class2:F1
Url:https://www.lcsc.qa/

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 5.419km (03.367miles) in length, with a main straight of 1.068km (00.664miles). 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 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]

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:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Grand Prix Circuit: 5.419 km (2023–present)
1:24.319[6] 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
1:39.748[7] 2024 Qatar 1812 km
1:41.441 2024 Qatar 1812 km
1:53.529 2024 Qatar 1812 km
1:58.374[8] 2024 Lusail F4 Saudi Arabian Championship round
2:04.087[9] 2024 Lusail Classic Endurance Racing round
2:19.449[10] 2024 1st Qatar Touring Car Championship round
Motorcycle Circuit: 5.380 km (2004–present)
1:23.196[11] 2021 Qatar Grand Prix
1:38.699[12] 2009 Qatar GP2 Asia Series round
1:49.116[13] 2006 Losail Grand Prix Masters
1:52.657 2024 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
1:56.687[14] 2019 Losail World SBK round
1:57.366 2023 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
1:59.379 2008 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
1:59.519[15] 2014 Losail MRF Challenge round
2:00.322[16] 2015 2nd Losail Porsche GT3 Middle East Championship round
2:01.628[17] 2015 FIA WTCC Race of Qatar
2:01.832[18] 2017 Losail World SSP round
2:03.135 2024 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
2:04.508[19] 2009 Losail Speedcar Series round
2:05.695 2008 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix
2:13.798[20] 2019 Losail Supersport 300 round
2:24.177[21] 2015 Losail ARRC round
2:31.934[22] 2014 Losail ARRC round

Racing history

Formula One

YearWinning driverWinning team
2021 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2023 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing

MotoGP

YearMotoGP250cc/Moto2125cc/Moto3
2004 Sete Gibernau Sebastián Porto Jorge Lorenzo
2005 Valentino Rossi Casey Stoner Gábor Talmácsi
2006 Valentino Rossi Jorge Lorenzo Álvaro Bautista
2007 Casey Stoner Jorge Lorenzo Héctor Faubel
2008 Casey Stoner Mattia Pasini Sergio Gadea
2009 Casey Stoner Héctor Barberá Andrea Iannone
2010 Valentino Rossi Shoya Tomizawa Nicolás Terol
2011 Casey Stoner Stefan Bradl Nicolás Terol
2012 Jorge Lorenzo Marc Márquez Maverick Viñales
2013 Jorge Lorenzo Pol Espargaró Luis Salom
2014 Marc Márquez Esteve Rabat Jack Miller
2015 Valentino Rossi Jonas Folger Alexis Masbou
2016 Jorge Lorenzo Thomas Lüthi Niccolò Antonelli
2017 Maverick Viñales Franco Morbidelli Joan Mir
2018 Andrea Dovizioso Francesco Bagnaia Jorge Martín
2019 Andrea Dovizioso Lorenzo Baldassarri Kaito Toba
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns Tetsuta Nagashima Albert Arenas
2021 Qatar Maverick Viñales Sam Lowes Jaume Masiá
2021 Doha Fabio Quartararo Sam Lowes Pedro Acosta
2022 Enea Bastianini Celestino Vietti Andrea Migno
2023 Fabio Di Giannantonio Fermín Aldeguer Jaume Masià

FIA World Endurance Championship

YearHypercar WinnersLMGT3 Winners
2024 No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing
Kévin Estre
André Lotterer
Laurens Vanthoor
Alex Malykhin
Joel Sturm
Klaus Bachler

Superbike World Championship

YearRaceWinning riderWinning team
2005Race 1 Troy CorserAlstare Suzuki
Race 2 Yukio KagayamaAlstare Suzuki
2006Race 1 James ToselandWinston Ten Kate Honda
Race 2 Troy CorserAlstare Suzuki Corona Extra
2007Race 1 Max BiaggiAlstare Suzuki
Race 2 James ToselandTen Kate Honda
2008Race 1 Troy BaylissDucati Xerox Team
Race 2 Fonsi NietoTeam Alstare Suzuki
2009Race 1 Ben SpiesYamaha WSB
Race 2 Ben SpiesYamaha WSB
2014Race 1 Sylvain GuintoliAprilia Racing Team
Race 2 Sylvain GuintoliAprilia Racing Team
2015Race 1 Jordi TorresAprilia Racing Team – Red Devils
Race 2 Leon HaslamAprilia Racing Team – Red Devils
2016Race 1 Chaz DaviesAruba.it Racing – Ducati
Race 2 Chaz DaviesAruba.it Racing – Ducati
2017Race 1 Jonathan ReaKawasaki Racing Team
Race 2 Jonathan ReaKawasaki Racing Team
2018Race 1 Jonathan ReaKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
Race 2Race cancelled
2019Race 1 Jonathan ReaKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
Jonathan ReaKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
Race 2 Jonathan ReaKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
2020Race cancelled

World Touring Car Championship

YearRaceWinning driverWinning team
2015Race 1 José María López Citroën Total WTCC
Race 2 Yvan Muller Citroën Total WTCC
2016Race 1 Gabriele Tarquini Lada Sport Rosneft
Race 2 Mehdi Bennani Sébastien Loeb Racing
2017Race 1 Tom Chilton Sébastien Loeb Racing
Race 2 Esteban Guerrieri Honda Racing Team JAS

FIM Endurance World Championship

YearManufactorWinning teamWinning riders
2007 Suzuki
Matthieu Lagrive
2008 Yamaha Yamaha Austria Racing Team
Steve Martin
Steve Plater
2009 Yamaha Yamaha Austria Racing Team
Steve Martin
2010 Suzuki
Sylvain Guintoli
2011 Yamaha David Checa
Kenny Foray
Matthieu Lagrive
2012 BMW BMW Motorrad France Thevent Sebastien Gimbert
Damian Cudlin

Motocross World Championship

YearRaceMX1MX2
2013Race 1 Clément Desalle Jeffrey Herlings
Race 2 Tony Cairoli Jeffrey Herlings
YearRaceMXGPMX2
2014Race 1 Maximilian Nagl Dylan Ferrandis
Race 2 Gautier Paulin Jeffrey Herlings
2015Race 1 Maximilian Nagl Jeffrey Herlings
Race 2 Maximilian Nagl Jeffrey HerlingsWMX
2016Race 1 Tim Gajser Jeffrey Herlings Courtney Duncan
Race 2 Tim Gajser Jeffrey Herlings Courtney Duncan
2017Race 1 Tony Cairoli Pauls Jonass
Race 2 Tony Cairoli Pauls Jonass

Speedcar Series

YearRaceWinning driverWinning team
2009Race 1 Gianni Morbidelli Palm Beach
Race 2 Vitantonio Liuzzi Union Properties

GP2 Asia

YearRaceWinning driverWinning team
2009Race 1 Nico Hülkenberg ART Grand Prix
Race 2 Sergio Pérez Barwa International Campos

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Losail International Circuit. 2020-07-16. RacingCircuits.info. en-gb.
  2. Web site: F1 to hold first Qatar Grand Prix at Losail this November . 30 September 2021 . 30 September 2021 . Motor Sport Magazine.
  3. Web site: Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023.
  4. Web site: Qatar GP organisers reveal Lusail renovations . Phillip . Horton . motorsportweek.com . 30 May 2023 . 31 May 2023.
  5. Web site: Tribune . Qatar . 2023-06-11 . 'Qatar 1812' unveiled as name for 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship race . 2023-09-20 . Qatar Tribune . en.
  6. Web site: Qatar Grand Prix 2023 . Formula1.com . 8 October 2023 . 8 October 2023.
  7. Web site: FIA WEC 2024 - Qatar 1812 KM - Race Final Classification by Driver Fastest Lap . . 3 March 2024 . 17 March 2024.
  8. Web site: 2024 Aramco F4 Saudi Arabia - Race 4 Final Classification . 17 March 2024 . 17 March 2024.
  9. Web site: 2024 Classic Endurance Racing - Qatar 1812 KM - Race (1 Hour 1 Minute 2 Seconds) Final Classification . . 1 March 2024 . 1 March 2024.
  10. Web site: 2024 Qatar Touring Car Championship - Qatar 1812 KM - Race 2 10 Laps / Max. 35 Minutes) Final Classification . . 1 March 2024 . 2 March 2024.
  11. Web site: Qatar Grand Prix 2021 . Formula1.com . 21 November 2021 . 7 March 2022.
  12. Web site: Lusail International Circuit, Qatar 2009 – GP2 Asia results . https://web.archive.org/web/20110916053850/http://www.autoevolution.com/sport/gp2-asia/results/2009/qatar.html . autoevolution.com . 13 February 2009 . 16 September 2011.
  13. Web site: 2006 Losail Grand Prix Masters . . 29 April 2006 . 20 April 2022.
  14. Web site: World Superbike Motul Qatar Round, 24-26 October 2019 Results Tissot Superpole Race . World Superbike . . 26 October 2019 . 16 June 2022.
  15. Web site: Qatar Superbike1-QCH1-MRF Challenge 17th Friday October QSBK-1 QCH-1-MRF Challenge – MRF Challenge Race-2 . 17 October 2014 . 14 January 2023.
  16. Web site: QCH R5-Porsche G3 CUP-Radical Car Feb.6,2015- QCH4-GT3 Cup-Radical Car – GT3 Cup Race 2 . 6 February 2015 . 14 January 2023.
  17. Web site: WTCC 2015 » Losail International Circuit Round 23 Results . 27 November 2015 . 16 June 2022.
  18. Web site: Qatar Round, 2-3-4 November 2017 World Supersport – Results Race . World Superbike . . 4 November 2017 . 16 June 2022.
  19. Web site: 2009 Losail Speedcar – Round 5 . . 13 February 2009 . 19 July 2022.
  20. Web site: Motul Qatar Round, 24-26 October 2019 Race Results . World Superbike . . 26 October 2019 . 22 May 2021.
  21. Web site: 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 . 14 January 2023.
  22. Web site: 2014 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 6 Losail International Circuit, Qatar December 14, 2014 Underbone 130cc Race 1 . 14 December 2014 . 14 January 2023.