The Qatar Grand Prix () is a

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

motor racing event which is held in

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

. It was held for the first time on 21 November as part of the championship at the

Lusail International Circuit The Lusail International Circuit (, sometimes rendered Losail International Circuit) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar. The track is in length, with a main straight of . It is surrounded ...

, and after not taking place during the season due to the

2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

taking place in Qatar, it rejoined the calendar in under a 10-year contract. The race was established as the fourth full-night race (as opposed to day or day-to-night races) on the Formula One calendar, following the

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

and

Sakhir Sakhir () is a desert area located in the Southern Governorate of Bahrain, near Zallaq. It contains the Al-Sakhir Palace, built in 1870. Camping in Sakhir during the winter months is a popular activity in the country. Notable sites In the earl ...

Grands Prix.

History

Origin

The Formula One season was initially planned over 23 races. The opening round of the season, the

Australian Grand Prix The Australian Grand Prix is an annual Formula One motor racing event, taking place in Melbourne, Victoria. The event is contracted to be held at least until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Gran ...

, was initially postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions in the country before being cancelled. The cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix occurred late during the season and left a vacancy in the calendar, and the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix was announced as its replacement in October 2021.

2021

The inaugural edition of the Qatar Grand Prix took place on 21 November, in place of the cancelled Australian Grand Prix. The race was won by

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...

, with

Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...

and

Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...

completing the podium. The Grand Prix has received criticism from

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

on the grounds of

human rights in Qatar The state of human rights in Qatar is a concern for several non-governmental organisations, such as the Human Rights Watch (HRW), which reported in 2012 that hundreds of thousands of mostly South Asian migrant workers in construction in Qatar r ...

. In response to Amnesty International, Formula One said, "For decades Formula One has worked hard be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social, and cultural benefits. Sports like Formula One are uniquely positioned to cross borders and cultures to bring countries and communities together to share the passion and excitement of incredible competition and achievement. We take our responsibilities on rights very seriously and set high ethical standards for counter parties and those in our supply chain, which are enshrined in contracts, and we pay close attention to their adherence." The same response was made for the

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix () is an annual Formula One motor racing event which took place for the first time in 2021. The inaugural edition of the race was held in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where it is schedule ...

, another Grand Prix in the Middle East that also made its debut in 2021, for similar reasons.

2023

After a one year absence in , due to the

which was staged in Qatar between November and December, the Qatar Grand Prix returned to the calendar on a 10-year contract from . A new purpose-built circuit was initially proposed for the 2023 race, before being retained in

Lusail Lusail (, , ) is the second-largest city in Qatar after Doha, and the economic capital of Qatar, located on the coast, in the southern part of the municipality of Al Daayen. Lusail lies about north of the Doha city centre, just north of the West ...

. The Grand Prix featured one of six sprints in the season which was won by Oscar Piastri, claiming his first Formula One sprint victory.

clinched his third

World Drivers' Championship Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which a ...

title and third in a row.

2024

The Grand Prix featured one of six sprints in the season for the second time overall.

Winners

Repeat winners (drivers)

''Drivers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.''

Repeat winners (constructors)

''Teams in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.''

Repeat winners (engine manufacturers)

''Manufacturers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.''

By year

Notes

References

{{Formula One races 2021 establishments in Qatar Recurring sporting events established in 2021 Formula One controversies