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Inaugural Qatar Grand Prix added to 2021 F1 calendar, 10-year deal signed from 2023

An inaugural Qatar Grand Prix has been added to the Formula One calendar this year and a 10-year deal has been agreed for the race to be staged from 2023.

By Peter Thompson
The Losail International Circuit

Doha, September 30: An inaugural Qatar Grand Prix has been added to the Formula One calendar this year and a 10-year deal has been agreed for the race to be staged from 2023.

The Losail International Circuit will stage a first grand prix on November 19-21, filling a space left in the schedule left by the cancelled round in Australia.

It will be the 20th race of this season, with only the Saudi Arabian GP on December 3-5 and the Abu Dhabi GP on December 10-12 to come after the event in Qatar.

Losail has hosted the MotoGP series since 2004.

An F1 statement said: "There was a strong will from Qatar to be helpful to F1, and in the course of this process, the vision for a longer partnership was discussed and agreed for 10 years.

"The step from the gesture to be helpful to F1 in 2021 to a long-term strategy was short and simple, and the vision for F1 to be the showcase for Qatar after the FIFA World Cup in 2022 was the driving force behind this long-term agreement.

"As part of the longer-term deal, discussions will continue regarding the location for the grand prix from 2023 with further details to be provided at a later time."

Abdulrahman Al-Mannai, president of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, said: "This is a very special day for Qatar motorsport and our nation's ambitions as a host of major sporting events.

"I'm very proud that we've been able to support Formula One by stepping in and hosting a race in our country in such a short time frame, while also securing a ground-breaking long-term deal with F1.

"This exciting agreement means that Qatar will be the home of both Formula One and MotoGP for the next decade, which are the pinnacle events in global motorsport.

"We have a proud motorsport history and this is the next chapter for us. Qatar will be a great destination for F1, and we look forward to welcoming all the drivers, teams, media and fans very soon."

Story first published: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 16:24 [IST]
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