During the British Grand Prix weekend, RaceFans exclusively announced that F1 was in talks with Qatar’s Losail circuit to host a replacement for Australia’s canceled race, but added that politics was being made in the region – until recently there were sanctions against Qatar from a number of neighboring states, there were airspace bans for their airline – had complicated discussions.
Although the track regularly hosts the night race for the Moto GP season opening, the Qataris are no strangers to Formula 1, as in 2015 they and RSE Ventures bought the 35.5% share of the commercial rights to Formula 1 held by CVC Capital Partners have offered. Sports marketing company RSE is controlled by Stephen Ross and owns the Miami Dolphins, but is better known to F1 fans as the promoter of the Miami Grand Prix – confirmed by F1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali in April.
Instead, the rights were secured by Liberty Media. However, it has long been suggested that, in gratitude for Ross making his offer to host a Grand Prix in Miami, Liberty positively evaluated his efforts. Hence the extraordinary efforts that Liberty and RSE have made to convince the Miami City Fathers to allow the race. Perhaps there is a similar scheme for Qatar’s F1-ready circuit in Losail?
Qatar is believed to have competed for a Grand Prix during the Bernie Ecclestone era, but its approaches were rejected due to a “polite” veto granted to Bahrain by the former Formula 1 Tsar. However, according to high-ranking Bahraini sources, this veto had no contractual significance. Ecclestone no longer controls F1’s commercial rights; so nothing stands in the way of a race in Qatar.
Years of lobbying poured into F1’s new Miami race, but all of these factors have been around since Liberty agreed to acquire F1 rights in late 2016, but there was no question of a Grand Prix in the emirate on the west coast of the Arabian region, golf . When Liberty was looking for an extra race in the Middle East last year, it turned to Bahrain for an event on the “outer” circuit instead of traveling to the nearby Qatari Peninsula. While there was some political tension at the time, Formula 1 generally ignored it.
To fill the 23 places on the F1 calendar in 2021, the series is currently looking for a replacement for the canceled Australian Grand Prix. Why not a second race in Bahrain, possibly back on the outer circuit, ahead of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, before the circus moves to Abu Dhabi for the season finale? After all, the Bahraini were the most accommodating of Formula 1 in their times of need.
Surprisingly, the statement may be related to Formula 1’s eagerness to attract a new manufacturer.
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The Qatari sovereign wealth fund QIA holds the second largest single block of shares in the Volkswagen Group – 14.6%, although the share structure is such that the fund holds 17% of the votes. As the former CEO of a Volkswagen Group brand, Lamborghini, Domenicali would certainly have got to know the Qatari people during his four years at the helm of the super sports car company and would have exchanged contact details with them.
Duesmann and other VW employees took part in the latest F1 engine meeting Domenicali is determined to win at least one VW Group brand for the F1. In fact, this is supposed to be one of the most important goals the Liberty Board of Directors has set for him. Hence the presence of his former colleagues Oliver Blume (Porsche) and Markus Duesmann (Audi) at the latest Formula 1 engine summit. The invitation list was so exclusive that Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff was not present, the interests of the star were represented by CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes Cars Ola Källenius.
Any preliminary decision by one (or both) of the two brands of the VW Group to enter Formula 1 – as an engine supplier and / or team owner – would, however, require ratification by the mainboard, and this is exactly where the intended entry of Audi 2014/5 fell on. This project was overseen by Domenicali prior to his appointment to Lamborghini, and he has clearly learned from that bitter disappointment.
Could the offer of a Grand Prix at the Losail circuit just be the sweet thing to convince the Qataris to see an F1 engagement positively? After all, what better ally in the boardroom of the VW group than the Qataris – who are keen to have a “home” Grand Prix to showcase their products – and their 17% voting block?
Twisty Losail is well suited for motorcycle racing. Given the acute tribal rivalry in the Middle East, there is better motivation for the Qataris to vote for an F1 entry than pictures of Bahraini royals taking care of “their” McLaren F1 team on home soil push? Crucially, the Bahraini recently joined the Saudi Public Investment Fund as a shareholder; You can bet that similar images will pop up after the Jeddah race. Incidentally, the Kuwait Fund owns 7% of Mercedes.
Signing and sealing a Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit for November is challenging given the political tensions in the region – which have cooled lately – but all parties have every reason to seek an agreement with the to work towards a great price This is not about the event itself, but about the obligation of one or both brands of the VW Group to get into Formula 1.
So the Qatar Grand Prix will likely take place – using the Moto GP night race infrastructure.
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