NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix

On the second stop of a triple header sequence to close out the 2024 season, the F1 paddock heads to the Lusail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix. Need to Know is your all-in-one guide for the weekend ahead with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also keep track of how fans have voted using our popular F1 Play predictor game.

With the Sprint format in play for a final time this year, FP1 and Sprint Qualifying will take place on Friday, November 29, followed by the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday, November 30 and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, December 1.

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Vital statistics

o First Grand Prix – 2021
o Track Length – 5.419km
o Lap record – 1m 24.319s, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 2023
o Most pole positions – Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton (1)
o Most wins – Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton (1)
o Trivia – 2021 represented the first time Qatar had ever hosted an F1 race
o Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 374 metres
o Overtakes completed in 2023 – 108
o Safety Car probability – 50%*
o Virtual Safety Car probability – 50%*
o Pit stop time loss – 26.28 seconds

*From previous two races in Qatar

FAN VIEW: Max Verstappen may arrive in Qatar as a four-time world champion, but slightly more F1 Play voters believe McLaren’s Lando Norris will set the fastest qualifying time in Lusail. 28% back the British driver, with 25% choosing the Red Bull man.

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Qatar is full of medium-speed corners and flowing sections. Given that it’s not a huge braking circuit, it’s just about finding the optimum downforce level for the car. There’s one good overtaking opportunity, and that comes down the lengthy start/finish straight.

The kerbs can be quite punishing, so drivers will need to be careful there. But conversely, as it’s a night race, that will help the tyres a little bit compared to the afternoon heat.

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ONBOARD: Max Verstappen’s 2023 Pirelli Pole Position Award lap at the Qatar Grand Prix

Qatar GP pole-sitters

o 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
o 2021 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Qatar GP winners

o 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
o 2021 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

FAN VIEW: It’s anyone’s race in Qatar, according to F1 Play gamers. A quarter think Verstappen will celebrate his world title by taking the chequered flag, with 20% backing Charles Leclerc, 16.8% Norris and 15.5% for George Russell following his win in Las Vegas.

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Tyre and strategy insight

With teams only permitted to use a new set of tyres for a maximum of 18 laps during last year's Qatar Grand Prix – after Pirelli raised concerns over tyre interactions with the kerbs leading to a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords – Pirelli and the FIA have worked together to ensure that there is not a repeat of this in 2024.

Pirelli's race weekend preview explains: “The pyramid-shaped kerbs have had their tips rounded off at seven of the track’s 16 corners: the first two after the start, Turns 4 and 10 and the three from 12 to 14, the section that had most stressed the sides of the tyres.

“Engineers in the Pirelli Motorsport R&D department have carried out extensive and lengthy tests on the dynamic test beds in Milan, using a sample of the new kerbs supplied by the FIA. Furthermore, the engineers also analysed tyres from tests carried out by some Formula 1 teams in recent weeks at the Lusail circuit, running pre-2024 cars.

“Even though the tyres were obviously not identical to those from the 2024 range, the acquired data has still been useful to confirm the results of simulations and the indications from the test bed. It should also be noted that the FIA has ensured that a gravel strip is added to the outside of some kerbs to dissuade drivers from overstepping the mark in order to go quicker.

"[Graining] could have a significant impact on race strategy with the tyres possibly suffering from significant thermal degradation. Furthermore, there are so few precedents to these conditions that for now it is impossible to make predictions.

“Leaving aside the events of 2023, it should be remembered that, in 2021, some drivers only made one pit stop and others, like Hamilton and Verstappen who finished first and second, fought for the win running a two-stop strategy.

“While keeping in mind that 2021 featured cars from the previous generation, therefore with very different tyre compounds, there were many different choices made in terms of compounds used, as indeed was the case in last year’s Sprint when 12 drivers started on the medium and eight on the soft.”

FAN VIEW: Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is seen as a likely contender to earn a place on the podium in Qatar, according to F1 Play gamers, as is future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – who has two Grand Prix wins to his name this season and was runner-up in this race last year – is also well supported.

Current form

The key headline from last time out in Las Vegas was that Max Verstappen is now officially the 2024 drivers' champion, with a fifth-place result being enough to crucially put him ahead of remaining rival Lando Norris and secure the crown.

However, while one world championship has been wrapped up, the weekend added some fascinating elements to the battles that are still to be decided. Mercedes bounced back to score a one-two victory led by George Russell, marking their first win since the Belgian Grand Prix in July.

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Even if that form continues into Qatar and the season-closing Abu Dhabi, the Silver Arrows remain a somewhat distant fourth in the constructors' standings. The fight for the title, though, is heating up, with Ferrari outscoring leaders McLaren in Las Vegas to close the gap to just 24 points.

It did not look to be the Woking team's weekend in Nevada, with Norris and team mate Oscar Piastri crossing the line in sixth and seventh respectively in a race where they seemed to lack pace. The squad will be hoping for better in Qatar as they look to score their first constructors' championship since 1998.

Red Bull, meanwhile, are 53 points adrift of McLaren in third. While Verstappen did what he needed to secure the title in Vegas, Sergio Perez was forced to put in a recovery drive following another difficult qualifying. Can the Mexican turn things around during the final two Grands Prix of the campaign?

And further back, the scrap over sixth in the constructors' remains incredibly close, with Haas snatching the position back from Alpine in Las Vegas by just one point, while RB are also in the hunt.

FAN VIEW: On the back of that terrific qualifying in Las Vegas, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly is drawing healthy backing from F1 Play voters despite ultimately suffering engine failure in Nevada. As ever, Haas star Nico Hulkenberg and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda are expected to go well this weekend.

Race Highlights: 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Iconic moment

As is the case this year, Qatar played host to the Sprint when it made its return to the calendar in 2023 following a one-year hiatus.

The star of the 100km dash was undoubtedly Oscar Piastri, with the Australian taking pole position for the event before making a strong start off the line.

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While he faced pressure from George Russell at the restart following a Safety Car period – allowing the Mercedes to ultimately take the lead – Piastri was the one to benefit from a later Safety Car deployment as he surged back into P1 when the action resumed.

From there the McLaren man kept his cool in humid conditions to claim his first victory of any kind in Formula 1.

Relive that eventful Qatar Sprint in the video player below...

Sprint Highlights: 2023 Qatar Grand Prix

Elsewhere in Qatar

There’s more activity taking place this weekend as part of the wider Sustainability Strategy that Formula 1 introduced in 2019, which includes the goal of being Net Zero by 2030 and creating a more diverse sport that reflects the world in which we race.

📰 F1 ACADEMY Discover Your Drive

F1 ACADEMY will host STEM students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar for two days of onsite learning with the Discover Your Drive Career Discovery Programme. This features a behind-the-scenes look at the world of F1, including a back-of-house hospitality operations tour in the F1 Paddock Club for students to learn about the range of career pathways in the industry.

🎫 Behind-the-scenes access for students

More than 300 students from 25 countries competing in the F1 in Schools World Finals will be treated to a behind-the-scenes experience at the Lusail International Circuit. Additionally, 500 tickets have been given to students from local schools and universities, and students from the Doha College will be on-site all weekend to learn about the event.

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🌱 Raising awareness on sustainable farming

Through a partnership with the Heenat Salma Farm, a project that encourages local food production and regenerative agriculture, the Qatar Grand Prix will be shining a spotlight on sustainable farming principles. An activation in the Fanzone will educate fans on the work of Heenat Salma and wider ecological transformations.

♿ Increasing accessibility for fans

The Fanzone features enhancements for those with physical and sensory needs, ensuring that individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent requirements can navigate the space comfortably. This includes additions such as wheelchair ramps, accessible seating areas, clear signage, sensory friendly areas and accessible food counters.