Qatar presses ahead with November F1 and MotoGP races

Qatar is continuing preparations to host Formula One and MotoGP at Lusail International Circuit in November despite disruption to the Middle East motorsport calendar.

MotoGP is scheduled to race in Qatar on 8 November, followed by the Formula One Qatar Grand Prix on 29 November.

Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation president Abdul Rahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai said preparations for both events were continuing, with organisers working to the existing calendar.

Formula One is expected to make a final decision on whether its Qatar race will proceed in mid-September.

Al Mannai said Hamad International Airport was operating at 100% capacity, including transit traffic between Asia and Europe, as Qatar prepares for the arrival of teams, officials and international spectators.

The regional situation has already affected another major event at Lusail. The FIA World Endurance Championship cancelled its Qatar 1812km race, which had been scheduled for 24 October.

Qatar has hosted MotoGP since 2004, with Lusail becoming the championship’s first night race in 2008.

Formula One first raced in Qatar in 2021. The country subsequently signed a 10-year agreement to host the championship from 2023 until 2032.

The 2026 Qatar Grand Prix is currently scheduled as the penultimate round of the Formula One season, one week before the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 6 December.

Qatar is one of four Middle East hosts on the Formula One calendar alongside Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.