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The Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation boss Amro Al-Hamad believes the inaugural F1 Qatar Grand Prix will be unpredictable due to the lack of performance data available to teams and drivers. According to the circuit chief, the Losail International circuit, which has hosted the Moto GP races since 2004, will be unchartered territory for F1 teams.
Speaking to The Motorsport Network, F1 Qatar Grand Prix circuit chief Al-Hamad said:
“Nobody has any data here, nobody drove here before, so that is going to add a lot. Every single minute in practice is going to make a difference because they still don’t know what type of set-up they need for all their chassis.”
While F1 teams and drivers have landed at the Middle Eastern venue for the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, their knowledge of the circuit is solely based on simulator data. As such, plenty of track drama can be expected because new circuits always involve unknown factors which end up determining the race weekend's outcome.
Explaining the reasons behind the Qatar Grand Prix being a puzzle for the teams and drivers, Al-Hamad said:
“The strategy is going to be completely different when it comes to tyre wear, because it’s a very fast track, or a flowing track with a couple of opportunities for overtaking. It’s very technical. It needs a lot of downforce. There are a lot of strategies that are going to be involved with the tyre wear here as well.”
The high-downforce characteristics of the circuit could bring Mercedes and Red Bull Racing closer, and the quadruple-apex series of turns could lead to overtaking opportunities. While track sequencing has been unpredictable this season, the race at the Losail International Circuit is predicted to be a mixed bag in terms of performance.
Qatar Grand Prix circuit had to make several changes to accomodate F1
Having hosted MotoGP for over a decade, the Losail International circuit had to make several changes to its pitlane and track to conform to F1 safety measures leading up to the inaugural event.
FIA F1 Racing Director Michael Masi, who visited the circuit in October, had mentioned the need to dramatically change the pit-lane entry of the circuit, install more double kerbs and Tecpro tire barriers. The Qatar Grand Prix organizers have also added several pit-buildings and upgraded their grandstands to welcome the F1 circus to their shores.
The Qatar Grand Prix will take a year off the F1 calendar in 2022 as the country focuses on hosting the FIFA World Cup, but will return to the calendar in 2023. However, its inaugural edition will mark the beginning of a new era of motorsport in the Gulf nation, and the final race of the ongoing overseas triple header.
