F1 Qatar Grand Prix live updates: Follow latest from today’s race with Oscar Piastri on pole

When I arrived in Doha on Wednesday night after completing the long journey from Las Vegas with a brief stop at home in the UK, I was immediately struck by the nods to the FIFA World Cup that still linger three years later.

On the drive into the Lusail International Circuit, you pass a couple of the World Cup stadiums, including the nearby 88,000-seater venue that hosted the final. Next week, the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup will get underway in Qatar, running until Dec. 18.

This year marks the fourth visit of F1 to Qatar, which previously focused on hosting MotoGP at the Lusail circuit. F1 debuted at the track in 2021 before taking 2022 off due to the World Cup, but has raced here ever since. Its contract runs through to 2032.

The president of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif Al Mannai, told The Athletic earlier this week that he would like the F1 race to an impact like the World Cup did for the country. Al Mannai said:

💬 “The timing of F1 is perfect here in Qatar, because after the World Cup, we have this agreement with them. And to me, it’s a World Cup every year. We’re very happy, very excited. And there is another benefit and value to having, F1 here — education and awareness. People now love motorsports a lot more than before. So we’re very happy about that.”