Qatar to upgrade Losail circuit to F1 standards

Qatar plans to improve its Losail MotoGP circuit to cater eventually for Formula One, the head of the Gulf country's motor sports federation said.

"We are planning a massive upgrade of the Losail circuit to make it possible to host Formula One races when the time comes," Qatar Motor and Motorcycling Federation president Nasser Khalifa al-Attiyah told Qatar's Gulf Times newspaper yesterday.

"We will be shortly inviting tenders for the job and once we decide on whom to award the contract, work will start soon," he added.

Losail hosted MotoGP's first night race earlier this month but may have to wait many years for the chance to host a Formula One Grand Prix, with Bahrain already on the calendar and Abu Dhabi making its debut next year.

"You cannot say what is going to happen in the future," al-Attiyah said.

"Formula One teams can use the track for testing which will put Qatar on the map and also help us earn good revenue."

Bahrain hosts the only Middle Eastern Grand Prix next week at its Sakhir circuit.