‘Why Qatar is the Best F1 Grand Prix’

One local fan, Myrna Meshrif, lives in Doha and attended the event a few years ago. Having discovered the world of F1 through TikTok, she was instantly inspired and quickly realised a gap in the market for Arabic and women-led content and so started posting on social media and co-hosting the Circuit Squad Podcast.

“Our podcast was born out of the need we felt in the region,” Myrna explained.

“Arabs in general don't tend to have a voice in the F1 media if you don't speak English, and your access to the sport is immediately limited. You don't have people explaining things in your language, breaking down races, or talking about news making it accessible for people in the Middle East.

“Farida and I, my co-host, we both speak English well, but we decided we're not going to do that. We made a very intentional decision to speak in Arabic, even though we knew that if we were to speak in English, we would have been given more opportunities and that's just the reality of it. F1 is a global sport, brands prefer English content and it's easier. But we wanted to speak Arabic because that's where the gap was.”

‘A Weekend that Might Decide Everything.’

Being the penultimate round means that championship battles are often still ongoing when we get to Qatar, which only adds to the excitement of the weekend, says Myrna.

“One thing I personally love about the Qatar Grand Prix is how in the past few years, it ended up being one of the races that really shaped the championship,” she begins.

“It always seems to fall at a point in the season where the title fight sharpens. As fans here, we love that, because you're not just watching our race, and I just think you're not just attending a grand prix, you're watching a weekend that might decide everything.”

Affordable Tickets for a World-Class Experience

As well as being a popular venue for residents of Qatar, this weekend is especially enjoyed by fans from overseas and is labelled as one of the best value experiences on the calendar.

“Tickets tend to be more affordable compared to a lot of Grand Prix,” Myrna explains,

“To have that opportunity, in such an amazing and welcoming country with world-class facilities, is amazing.

“When it comes to Qatar and hospitality, as someone who lives here and experienced it as a fan, I completely agree that the organisation is smooth, the transport is super easy, and the security is calm.

“The staff are honestly the nicest people you'll ever deal with at a race; everyone is so helpful.”

Things to Do in Doha

The circuit is located just outside of Qatar’s capital city of Doha, but Myrna says that Lusail also offers a lot of things for fans to see and do when not at track.

“Lusail is its own full city. You can walk around, visit the marina, and there's an amazing night market. The whole country is still accessible, you never feel stuck or far away from anything.”

And there are even more hotspots in Doha that Myrna urges fans to visit.

“You must visit The Pearl, it’s absolutely beautiful, especially at night. Since the weather is also getting better you could go there in the morning too.

“There’s also Katara, where there’s also culture, the food, the views, everything. Souq Waqif and Msheireb are also great for food and the atmosphere.

“Gewan Island is also the new must-visit spot that everyone is loving right now if you want something more modern. Hazm Mall is also very close to Lusail and gorgeous.

“Doha is a beautiful city. It's very safe, it's very welcoming, the people, the hospitality, everything is perfect. To be honest, I feel so lucky to live here because it is a really cosy city and everything is close.

“That's one of the best parts about coming here for a race weekend. Between sessions, you can literally go anywhere and I'm not even exaggerating!”

‘Amazing’ Sprint Weekends

This year will be the third consecutive season that the Qatar Grand Prix has hosted a Sprint weekend.

Less practice time, and more on-track action, make it an unmissable experience for fans either at home or sitting in the grandstands.

“Sprint weekends are amazing,” Myrna says.

“As a fan in the grandstands, more action is always preferable! I don't think every race needs to be a Sprint, but Qatar works perfectly with the Sprint format. I wouldn't mind seeing a few more Sprints throughout the season.”

Although the Lusail International Circuit was initially designed with bikes in mind, it has made for an unusual challenge for teams and drivers.

High kerbs and several medium-to-high speed corners mean that drivers will need to change their tyres at least twice during the 57-lap race as per new Pirelli guidelines.

“The long and fast sweeping corners means tyres suffer more than usual,” Myrna adds.

“The 25-lap maximum stint for tyres will open the race up in such an interesting way. Suddenly, every team is forced into multi-stop strategies, and it will put everyone on equal footing.

“It makes the race way more dynamic, because there's constant movement and pit stops.”

Easy Access to the Track

As well as having one of the most incredible airports - the Hamad International Airport was voted the second-best in the world this year - travel to and from the track is also a breeze.

“As I live in Qatar, my journey to the circuit was the easiest commute ever,” Myrna says.

“It was just a 20-minute drive to Lusail, and my accommodation was my own bed which honestly is the dream for any Grand Prix.

“My first-ever Grand Prix was Qatar in 2023, and I had no idea what was going on because I had never been to a race before.

“None of my F1 friends were in Qatar, and so I took a different friend with me every single day to the track because none of them wanted to come all three days.

“They knew nothing about F1, and it was hilarious, because it was explaining everything and I accidentally turned some of them into hardcore fans!

“It was so surreal seeing the cars for the first time in real life, nothing prepares you for that.”