The pandemic that wreaked havoc over the entire world through 2020 and 2021 opened the floodgates to a number of new circuits making their way into the Formula 1 racing calendar. And after Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Portuguese Grand Prix, and others, the latest entry arrived from the middle-eastern country of Qatar - the Qatar Grand Prix.

Qatar will officially make its F1 debut in 2021 after several countries including Singapore, Japan, and Canada backed out of the calendar. The Losail International Circuit is 5.38 km long comprising 16 exciting high-speed corners, carrying a similar DNA to the Bahrain International Circuit. The circuit skirts the capital city of Doha and was primarily built to host Moto GP races, starting from 2004.

Hence, the fact that Losail International Circuit's target was to attract motorcycle races, the track layout itself has a rather flowing nature, with hardly any slow corners. So, there is quite an uncertainty lingering over how F1 cars will behave around here.

About F1 at the Losail International Circuit

The Qatar GP will host a 57-lap worth Formula 1 race, which is likely to cover a total distance of 306.66 km. Amidst the lack of slow corners over this circuit, the drivers will pretty much have to rely on the main straight to gain any kind of advantage. But, even that could prove to be tricky, as the main straight isn't long enough; It only gets worse from here.

For the modern-era F1 cars to make a move on the main straight, they need to be within 0.6s from the car ahead, which seems a bit too far-fetched considering the high-speed turn 15 and turn 16 might just not let the cars follow closely due to massive turbulent air.

Fastest Lap: 1:38:699 - Davide Rigon (GP2 Series) in 2009

2021 Qatar Grand Prix: When & where to watch the race?

(Local time)

• FP1: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM (November 19)
• FP2: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (November 19)
• FP3: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (November 20)
• Qualifying: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM (November 20)
• Race: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (November 21)

• United Kingdom - Sky Sports & Channel 4
• Canada - RDS
• United States - ESPN
• France - Canal+
• Germany - Sky Deutschland
• India - Star Sports
• Netherlands - Ziggo
• Portugal - Eleven Sports
• Spain - F1 DAZN

More about Qatar GP

Although 2021 is likely to be a one-off outing for Qatar, they are set to make a comeback in 2023 potentially for a much longer stint (10 years to be precise) after signing a deal with Formula 1. Hence, an exciting new venture awaits the country and its fans, who are yet to witness open-wheel car racing with F1 unfold at the Losail International Circuit.