Lowdown on Lusail
After F1's inaugural visit to the Lusail International Circuit back in 2021, the circuit was completely resurfaced before its second race in 2023, with a completely new pit and paddock complex constructed in the run up to the race.
This included larger pit garages, new team buildings, and new access tunnels.
Temperatures during the day in Doha can reach close to 40C, and several drivers found the conditions incredibly tough in 2023, as the race was held earlier in the year in early October.
The track has a fast and flowing nature and is predominantly used for motorcycle racing.
There is only one corner, Turn Six, that sees the minimum speed drop below 100 km/h.
There are therefore no heavy braking events for the cars to tackle, a unique occurrence on the 2025 calendar.
There are 16 corners in total: 10 to the right and six to the left. The track's main straight covers more than 1km of the total lap distance and is the sole DRS zone on the circuit.
The pit lane in Qatar is the third longest of any circuit we visit on the calendar, behind only Imola and Silverstone. It clocks in at 502m, and the expected pit lane time is more than 20 seconds.
Tyres are usually a hot topic of conversation in Qatar, and this year will be no different, with suppliers Pirelli announcing that a limit of 25 laps per tyre will be introduced over the course of the whole race weekend.
With the field set for a 57-lap Grand Prix, it means each driver will be stopping at least twice during the race.
Back in 2023, drivers could not exceed more than 18 laps of set of tyres after the nature and layout of track’s kerbs caused excessive wear.