Losail Circuit track the big talk as F1 set for thrilling Qatar start

Vinay Nayudu Doha Qatar couldn’t have expected for a more inviting, thrilling and riveting Formula 1 debut at the Losail International Circuit. Set for it...

Vinay NayuduDohaQatar couldn’t have expected for a more inviting, thrilling and riveting Formula 1 debut at the Losail International Circuit.Set for its historic first ever Formula 1 Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix which begins Friday ahead of the final showdown on Sunday (Nov 21), the sporting nation has once again become the cynosure of all eyes and a destination for a crucial Grand Prix with the title duel between seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain and Dutchman Max Verstappen on a knife’s edge.With three races left in a thrilling 2021 Formula 1 season, the sport enters a new territory in Qatar. Given Qatar’s stature as a sporting capital, no stone has been left unturned in ensuring a memorable debut for F1 in the country which has a huge passion for fast cars.The efforts of the organisers -- Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) was welcomed by the official body. F1 in a statement said: “There was a strong will from Qatar to be helpful to F1” and their “vision for F1 to be the showcase after the World Cup was the driving force” behind the lucrative agreement.FIA president Jean Todt said Qatar’s long-term commitment to F1 was “another example” of the country’s “strong passion for sport”.And now that the F1 drivers are set to scorch the Losail International Circuit, the track is a attracting all attention for being an unknown zone. The 5.4km circuit was built in 2003 and has hosted MotoGP events every year since 2004, apart from 2020 when it was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.It is regarded as a fast and flowing track, where medium and high-speed corners dominate.More than 1km of the track’s length is made up of the main straight, which provides plenty of overtaking opportunities into Turn One.Verstappen and Hamilton have crashed into each other twice this season and raced wheel-to-wheel on numerous occasions, and Qatar is expected to provide more thrilling drama this weekend.The Losail International Circuit promises to deliver on speed for starters, with a long main straight and a series of high to medium-speed corners that will test both the skill and fitness of the drivers.Only two drivers in the current F1 field have driven here competitively – but neither Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing team nor Nikita Mazepin of Haas F1 team can say they can remember too much of what this place was like, so it certainly seems this track will be something of an unknown for the whole grid.The track is expected to require a high downforce set-up due to its technical middle sector, leading to concerns about the amount of overtaking that will be possible.But Amro Al Hamad, a former driver and now Executive Director, QMMF, is confident that the lack of track data and the flowing layout would create an exciting on-track spectacle.“Nobody has any data here, nobody drove here before, so that is going to add a lot,” Al Hamad told Autosport.“Every single minute in practice is going to make a difference because they still don’t know what type of set-up they need for all their chassis.“The strategy is going to be completely different when it comes to tyre wear, because it’s a very fast track, or a flowing track with a couple of opportunities for overtaking.“I know from a competitive driver point of view that there is a lot of overtaking that is going to be done, against all of the speculation that has been spread, that this is a straight-line kind of circuit, which it’s not.”The drivers expressed similar views at the press conference at Losail on Thursday.“It’s a pretty fast track,” says Lando Norris of McLaren, adding that since there ate “Not many big braking zones, it’s probably going to be quite a physical one (race). “I don’t know how the racing or anything is going to be, I’ve got no idea just yet. But quite a fun track from what it looks like.”Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri said, “It is going to be a very high speed track. It is difficult to compare with any other track that we’ve been to, so it is going to be a challenge.“Driving it in the simulator and driving-wise it seems really exciting. In terms of racing it is quite high speed and a lot of long corners, high yaw corners, so it might be difficult to follow, but we will see.“It is probably going to be quite physical in terms of G and the minimum speed in the corners is pretty high.”George Russell of Williams also acknowledged the circuit’s fast track. “It’s quite an enjoyable track to be honest,” said the Williams driver. “Very fast, sweeping, high downforce, a long straight as well. So I think there’ll be some good racing.”Meanwhile, Perez, said he can remember little of his 2009 visit to Losail but has tried it in the Red Bull sim, hopes that Mercedes will have less of a straightline advantage than was evident in Brazil.“We’ll see what we are able to do going into Qatar,” said the Mexican. “I think it’s going to be a different track. Probably straightline speed is not so relevant over there, so hopefully we can be a lot more competitive.”Verstappen, looking for his first world title, holds a 14-point lead as he aims to stop Hamilton winning a record-breaking eighth drivers’ championship.Hamilton will have been boosted by winning Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, despite two penalties.But, in a performance described by 1996 world champion Damon Hill as “one of the best drives I have ever seen in F1”, Hamilton fought through the top 10 and overtook Verstappen with 12 laps to go for his first win since the Hungarian Grand Prix in August.There are 78 points still available across the three remaining races - 25 for a race win, plus a point for the fastest lap - so if Verstappen wins in Qatar with Hamilton second, the Dutchman can afford to finish second to the Briton at the final two races and still win the title.After Qatar, there is a week off before the trips to Saudi Arabia (5 December) and Abu Dhabi (12 December) to finish the season.“We still have a good points lead,” said Verstappen. “It was damage limitation on a weekend where it was a bit difficult for us, but I’m confident we will bounce back.“It [the title race] has been like this the whole year. It went up, comes down, went behind, I’m back in front, so a lot of things can still happen.”