How Middle East is in pole position to challenge Europe’s F1 dominance as Qatar and Abu Dhabi shape the 2025 championship finale
As the 2025 The Formula 1 season nears its conclusion, the Driver’s World Championship is finely poised. This is following the events of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22. The top two—McLaren duo Lando Norris (390 points) and Oscar Piastri (366)—were both disqualified. And, reigning world champion, Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing finished first, taking him to 366 points; he is third by virtue of having six wins against Piastri’s seven.
So, as the F1 excitement descends upon the Middle East for the two deciding races in Qatar (November 30) Abu Dhabi (December 7), there is a good chance that this season will turn into a modern classic, despite the Constructors’ Championship already being emphatically sealed by McLaren.
The Lusail International Circuit in Qatar and the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi are both unforgiving and offer no room for error. Given that 58 points are available—the Qatar Grand Prix includes the 100-km sprint, which is worth eight points to the winner, apart from 25 each for the two grands prix wins—the top three will be forced to take risks and attack the challenging circuits.
The Lusail circuit is 5.419km with long, sweeping high-speed corners. This places high lateral G-force on cars and necessitates strong tyre management. There is a 25-lap limit on tyre sets for the 57-lap race, meaning two pit stops are mandatory. So, even as the drivers chase the maximum 33 points, the strategy will have to be executed perfectly. F1 viewers will remember the many races over the years impacted by suboptimal pit stops.
The Yas Marina Circuit is 5.281km long. It blends high-speed sections with a technical final sector that runs around the iconic marina and saw modifications in 2021 to improve overtaking. The circuit, which cost an estimated $1.32 billion, has hosted the F1 season-ender since 2009.
Hosting the final rounds guarantees Qatar and Abu Dhabi global television audiences and a premium position in the F1 season’s narrative arc. This leads to substantial economic benefits. For instance, the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is estimated to have generated AED1.16 billion in revenue. The next year, a 34 per cent net increase in international visitor spending was noted in the emirate during the event. The Qatar Grand Prix was first held in 2021 and rejoined the calendar in 2023 (under a 10-year contract). But, it has been held only three times prior to this year and the revenue has not been publicly disclosed as of now. However, the 10-year contract is likely to play a key role in it turning into a premium destination.
This also aligns with the broader trend of the Middle East rapidly cementing its position as a major hub for Formula 1, currently featuring four high-profile circuits: the Bahrain International Circuit and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, apart from the two mentioned above. Along with the season-ending excitement, this number also grants the region a substantial presence in global motorsport, nearly equalling the total count of races hosted by all of North America (five) and equalling the entire Asia/Pacific region (Australia, Japan, China and Singapore; four) this season.
Only Europe, the traditional heartland of F1, hosts a significantly larger number of grands prix, underscoring the Middle East’s strong strategic importance and considerable financial investment in the sport. And with the way things are developing, the Middle East is in pole position to give a tough contest to the European circuits in the next decade.
