Lusail International Circuit, Racing Circuit

Lusail International Circuit lies in the desert on the outskirts of Doha, Qatar, near the new city of Lusail, and is the country's only motorsport facility. Built in little over a year by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, it opened in October 2004 for the inaugural Qatari motorcycle Grand Prix. Originally rendered Losail, it was designed primarily with motorcycling in mind, with a flowing 5.4-kilometre layout, a main straight over a kilometre long and a mix of medium and high-speed corners, including quick left-handers popular with riders. The track is surrounded by sprayed artificial grass intended to stop desert sand from blowing onto the racing surface. In 2008 it became one of the first major circuits with permanent floodlighting, allowing MotoGP to stage its first-ever night race, and it remains a long-standing fixture for MotoGP and World Superbike. It is the only circuit in the region to hold both FIA and FIM homologation licences. Four-wheeled racing grew steadily, from early GP Masters and GP2 Asia visits to the World Touring Car Championship in 2015, before Formula One arrived in 2021 under a long-term agreement, with Lewis Hamilton winning the first Qatar Grand Prix. Ahead of F1's 2023 return the venue was extensively rebuilt, gaining a record-length pit building certified by Guinness World Records, remodelled paddock and grandstands, and two new circuit variants. Extreme desert heat has repeatedly tested drivers and riders, and from 2024 the circuit also hosts the FIA World Endurance Championship's season-opening Qatar 1812km race.

Operated by: Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation