Qatar has given the "green light for ambitious plans to hold a Formula 1
grand prix on a new street circuit in the city of Lusail," according to Noble & Straw of AUTOSPORT. Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Ben Hamad Al
Thani has "thrown his official support behind a push to secure a GP." But
rather than previous suggestions of an F1 race at the Losail circuit
that has hosted MotoGP since '04, the plan is for the race to "take
place on a street circuit in the new city of Lusail, which has already
been named as venue for the final" of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. FIA
VP Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, who is the chief of Qatar's
motorsport federation (QMMF), said that the government had asked that "everything be done" to finalize the race as it will "help promote Lusail." Bahrain F1 CEO Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa has denied that there
is "any clause in its contract that would allow it to actually block a
race in Qatar" -- although he suggested that F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone would be "unlikely
to let it happen without Bahrain's support." Al Khalifa has made it clear, however, that he "does not believe the
Middle East region should host another grand prix just yet, so he would
be against Qatar getting a race." Al Khalifa: "I think F1's culture is growing [in the Middle East], and we can see it slowly coming about. But my personal opinion of having another race -- wherever it is -- I don't think we are ready for that" (AUTOSPORT, 1/12). In London, Jonathan McEvoy reported Ecclestone has said that Qatar's "extravagant plans to host a Formula One grand prix could be thwarted by a handshake deal he did" with Bahrain. Despite Qatar unveiling images of a "proposed new street circuit in Lusail," Ecclestone said, "There is a problem. When I did the deal to have a race in Bahrain I shook hands with them -- promising not to have another race in the area unless they agreed to it. Then Abu Dhabi came along and said they wanted a race. I said I couldn't help them unless Bahrain agree to let them join the calendar. If they agreed, fine. They did agree. Now Bahrain needs to agree to a race in Qatar. If that can be sorted, fine. If not, we can't do anything about it" (DAILY MAIL, 1/12).
