AThe President of the Qatar Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, Abdul Rahman Al-Mannai, confirmed that Qatar is still continuing with its preparations to host the World Motorcycle Championship and Formula 1 races next November, despite the uncertainty imposed by security developments and conflict in the region.
The Losail Circuit is scheduled to host the World Motorcycle Championship race on November 8, while the Formula 1 race will be held on November 29, with the championship administration deciding its final position on holding the Qatari race in mid-September. If the Qatar and Abu Dhabi races cannot be held, the Formula 1 season in Europe will end.
On the other hand, the World Endurance Racing Championship canceled its round that was scheduled in Qatar on October 24.
Al-Mannai said that Qatar has been “safe for months,” noting that its airport is operating at full capacity, including transit flights between Asia and Europe, and that life has returned to normal, making Doha ready to host the races again.
He added that the federation is continuing preparations for the motorcycle race, in parallel with the talks related to the Formula 1 race, but he acknowledged that future developments cannot be predicted, and that the situation in the region remains volatile despite the calm that has prevailed so far.
Al-Mannai stressed that Qatar cannot suspend its preparations, saying that work will continue step by step while following developments and evaluating the situation, indicating that things so far are going according to plan.
Formula 1 races held in the Middle East region are of great economic importance to the tournament, in light of the hosting fees paid by the host countries amounting to tens of millions of dollars.
