Lusail

Lusail is a 5.419 km, 16-corner circuit just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, with a main straight of 1.068 km. It is a fast, flowing layout dominated by medium- and high-speed corners, and it is raced at night under permanent floodlights. The track is surrounded by artificial grass intended to stop desert sand blowing onto the surface.

The long sequences of fast corners make it one of the hardest circuits on the tyres and on the drivers' necks. In 2023 the race was run in extreme heat and humidity that left several drivers struggling, and a per-set tyre-lap limit was imposed because of kerb damage. The circuit's rhythm rewards a well-balanced car more than raw straight-line speed.

The circuit opened on 30 September 2004 at a cost of about US$58 million and hosted the Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix from its opening year. In 2007 it added permanent outdoor lighting for night racing, at that time the largest permanent sports lighting project in the world.

Formula 1 held its first Qatar Grand Prix on 21 November 2021, the 20th round of that season, and Lewis Hamilton won it for Mercedes. The race was not held in 2022, when Qatar hosted the football World Cup, and returned in 2023 on a modified layout that is 5.419 km long compared with the original 5.380 km.

Max Verstappen has won each of the last three races, in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and Lando Norris set the current lap record in 2024. The 2026 race is scheduled for 29 November.