The Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) has made a strong pitch to motorsport’s world governing body, the FIA, for the Gulf state to be included on the Formula One calendar as early as next year if not latest by 2017.
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Speaking to the official Qatar News Agency, QMMF president Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah revealed that he has obtained approval from the Qatari leadership to establish a F1 circuit in Losail.
It is, however, unclear if Al Attiyah was referring to building a brand-new circuit or upgrading the current Losail International Circuit which already has been homologated by both the FIA and its motorcycling counterpart, the FIM.
Built in 2004 at a cost of about $60 million (Dh220m), Losail is a 5.432km road course that already hosts international events such as the MotoGP, GP2 and several other international series.
Full lighting was added to the circuit three years after it was built in order to hold night races.
The QMMF boss told QNA the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, had met FIA president Jean Todt during his visit to Doha to attend the federation’s annual general body meeting in early December, but did not discuss the nature of discussions that took place.
A grand prix in Qatar would bring F1’s tally of races in the Middle East to three as it would join others in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.
Respected London newspaper The Independent reported last year that F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is not ruling out a street race in Qataras this would allow it to stand out from rivals in the Middle East.
In December, however, website stuff.co.bz quoted Ecclestone as saying that Bahrain has been blocking Qatar’s F1 bid.
Apparently, Bahrain has to approve other races in the region following an agreement with Ecclestone, though it did not object to Abu Dhabi hosting a second race in the region.
“When we went to Bahrain I made a deal with the people there,” Ecclestone told the website.
“They said to me that as they were going to be something new in the area, would I give them a guarantee I wouldn’t stage another race in the Gulf, and I said, ‘Yes’.”
Ecclestone said it was a “handshake deal” with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
“Now this other race has been proposed. So I put the people together and said ‘Can you sort this out between you?’ They haven’t managed to do it,” the F1 boss was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Al Attiyah, who is vice president of both the FIA and the FIM, in his interview with QNA also spoke of his intent to run for the presidency of the world governing body for motorcycles in 2018, in light of support he says he has from Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
