Losail International Circuit

Losail was built in 2004 as a MotoGP venue and hosted its first Formula 1 race in 2021. Its motorcycle heritage shows in the layout: long, constant-radius corners with generous run-off and very few slow sections, which produces a fast, flowing lap with almost no respite.

That character makes it exceptionally hard on tyres. The sustained lateral loading through the medium and high-speed corners, combined with aggressive kerbs, caused tyre sidewall failures in 2023 severe enough that a mandatory maximum stint length was imposed for the race. The circuit was resurfaced and the kerbs modified before its return.

It is also one of the most physically demanding races on the calendar. High ambient temperature, high humidity and a lap with sustained high-speed cornering left several drivers in medical care after the 2023 event, prompting changes to cockpit cooling requirements.