2024 F1 Qatar Grand Prix preview: Season’s penultimate round

• The Qatar Grand Prix is round 23 of the 2024 F1 season
• The event will feature a standalone Sprint race in addition to the main race
• Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen has already claimed the 2024 Drivers’ title

A few days on from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen was named the 2024 Formula 1 World Champion, teams have made the 8,000-mile journey to the to the Persian Gulf, specifically to Qatar for this weekend’s penultimate race of the season.

The Qatar Grand Prix was first held in 2021 as a replacement for a canceled Australian Grand Prix, and from 2023 it becomes a permanent fixture on the calendar. The race takes place at the Losail International Circuit, which is located on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital, Doha, and this year, like last year, there will be a standalone Sprint race in addition to the main race.

The Losail International Circuit features a track that stretches 3.43 miles and is surrounded by a ring of artificial grass designed to keep sand from piling up on the surface. It was originally designed for motorcycle racing, specifically MotoGP, and as a result the track features a fast and flowing nature, making it difficult to pass due to the high-speed nature.

There are 16 corners in total (10 right-handers and six left-handers) and the main straight is almost a fifth of a lap, with the end of this straight being the only DRS zone. The surface is one of the most abrasive on the calendar, and last year organizers made it compulsory for drivers to pit every 18 laps because of excessive tire wear, though that isn’t expected to be the case this year. Due to the tough conditions, Pirelli has nominated its hardest compounds, the C1, C2, and C3.

Conditions in last year’s race were also almost impossible to handle due to extremely hot weather. However, this year’s race takes place two months later, when temperatures are much lower. The current forecast calls for highs of only around 75 degrees F.

Both the Sprint race and the qualifying session are held on Saturday and the main race on Sunday. The Sprint race is a standalone points race that takes place prior to the qualifying session for Sunday’s main race. It has its own qualifying session that takes place on Friday, after a single practice session.

Although Verstappen has been named the 2024 World Champion, the battles for second place in the Drivers’ standings plus top honors in the Constructors’ standings are very much alive.

Going into the weekend, Verstappen’s points tally in the 2024 Drivers’ Championship is 403 points. McLaren’s Lando Norris is second with 340 points and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third with 319 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren leads with 608 points. Ferrari is second with 584 points, while Red Bull is third with 555 points.