Formula 1 adds Qatar race to 2021 schedule with 10-year deal to begin in 2023

Formula 1 has announced that a Grand Prix race in Qatar has been added to its 2021 calendar.

Completing the sport’s 22 race schedule for 2021, including the rescheduled Turkey, Mexico and Brazil rounds, the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix will fill the vacant slot that was left after Australia’s race was cancelled for the second year running.

Set to be staged at the Arabian Gulf nation’s Losail International Circuit from 19th to 21st November, this year’s race will be a prelude to an annual Qatar Grand Prix from 2023.

No event will be held in 2022 as Qatar is hosting the FIFA World Cup, while reports suggest that future races will be held on a street circuit in the city of Doha.

The Qatar Grand Prix’s inclusion on the F1 calendar will create a three-part Middle Eastern ending to the 2021 season, with the race in Qatar followed up by the first ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from 3rd to 5th December, with the season rounded off by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 10th to 12th December.

It also means that F1 will not be hosting any races east of the Arabian Gulf in 2021 with races in China, Japan, Singapore and Australia having been cancelled.

Announcing the hosting deal with the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Qatari authorities, F1 President Stefano Domenicali advised “we are very pleased to welcome Qatar to the Formula 1 calendar this season and for the longer term from 2023. 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.

“We have shown that we can continue to adapt and there is huge interest in our sport and the hope from many locations to have a grand prix. The huge effort from all the teams, F1 and the FIA has made it possible to deliver a 22-race calendar, something that is very impressive during a challenging year and something we can all be proud of.”

A statement from F1 added “there was a strong will from Qatar to be helpful to F1, and in the course of this process, the vision for a longer partnership was discussed and agreed for 10 years.

"The step from the gesture to be helpful to F1 in 2021 to a long-term strategy was short and simple and the vision for F1 to be the showcase for Qatar after the FIFA World Cup in 2022 was the driving force behind this long-term agreement.

Speaking of Qatar’s inclusion on the 2021 calendar, F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali praised the efforts of the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and the Qatari Authorities in helping to arrange the Grand Prix at short notice, saying: “We are very pleased to welcome Qatar to the Formula 1 calendar this season and for the longer term from 2023.

QMMF President, Abdulrahman Al-Mannai went on to say “this is a very special day for Qatar Motorsport and our nation’s ambitions as a host of major sporting events.

“This exciting agreement means that Qatar will be the home of both Formula 1 and MotoGP for the next decade, which are the pinnacle events in global motorsport. We have a proud motorsport history, and this is the next chapter for us. Qatar will be a great destination for F1, and we look forward to welcoming all the drivers, teams, media and fans very soon.”

Discussions regarding the location of F1’s Qatar Grand Prix from 2023 onwards will continue.

F1 had originally been hoping to stage a record 23 race series this season.

Image: Losail International Circuit. Credit: Shutterstock.